What If I Make a Mistake?

We don’t really like making mistakes; we’d so much rather be right than wrong. Most of the time, our mistakes are something we can get over pretty quickly, but sometimes a mistake is life-changing.

I made a career choice—or I didn’t.

I married the love of my life—or I didn’t.

I decided to have another baby—or I didn’t.

I made a cross-country move—or I didn’t.

I got out of a bad relationship—or I didn’t.

I quit the spirit-breaking job—or I didn’t.

You see, life is full of these intersecting pathways, crossroads where decisions have to be made. We sometimes wonder with a little trembling, “What if I choose a path and it’s the wrong one? What if, down the road, I look back and regret this decision? What if I make a really bad mistake?”

Or we may already be “down the road,” and we’re saying “What now, since I’ve made this really bad mistake? I wish I could go back . . .”

There’s good news! God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” Hebrews 13:5 NLT) Never? Never. Even if I make a really bad mistake? Even if you make a really bad mistake. Another version emphasizes that there are three negatives preceding the verbs. “I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]” (Hebrews 13:5 AMP) That is a promise sturdy enough for us to depend on.

To be honest, I need to tell you that there may be times in life when no decision seems “good.” There is only doing what has to be done. I will share with you the best example I know, given to me by a pastor friend. A little graphic—but it makes the point.

Just suppose—he said to me—that you are in a terrible car accident. No one has yet come to give help, and now the car has caught fire. But you are trapped, your arm caught in something that will not budge. You know that in a few moments the gas tank is going to explode and then there will be no chance of rescue. There is a large hunting knife on the seat beside you. You grab it, and saw off your arm to free yourself, escaping just before the wreck is engulfed in flames.

Now, years later, you are one-armed. You miss that other arm. You need it. You desperately wish you had it. You think, “Maybe if I had just waited, someone would have come. Maybe if I had waited, then the car wouldn’t have blown up. Maybe . . . maybe . . . “ But the arm is gone. You did, at the time, what had to be done.

Sadly, even appropriate decisions do not guarantee there will be absolutely no second-guessing, no uneasiness, and no regrets. Satisfaction and ease of mind are not always the result when we make the hard decisions; being “right” may bring conflict. But you will never ever be abandoned by the One who said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:4 NKJV)

MaryMartha
(All rights reserved)

Scripture quotation marked NLT is taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.
Scripture marked AMP quoted from the Amplified Bible. Scripture marked NKJV taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Email: mrymrtha@gmail.com