The Upside of Uh-Oh!

A gracious host lets slip a tactless remark. A savvy company manager makes the worst possible business decision. A good friend fails to notice her best friend's need. No matter how capable and competent we are, we mess up from time to time!

Mistakes are embarrassing, and they bring us down a peg or two. But here's the upside. For starters, we're reminded that we're human, just like everyone else. And then we're compelled to ask forgiveness from God, as well as from those who may have been hurt by our words or actions. Finally, we're motivated never to do it again. We're committed to learn from what happened, grow beyond it, and avoid the same blunder next time.

When you stumble, the worst thing you can do is stay down. Remember who you are—a beloved, but human, child of your heavenly Father. He has promised to come to your aid, comfort you, and bring peace to your heart and mind. You can rely on His pardon. You can ask forgiveness of others. You can let your "bads" serve not only as a lesson for you but also as a good example of how to handle them.

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This was an excerpt from Shouts of Joy–a book designed to remind you of the goodness of your heavenly Father.