I Made A Mistake

In his book, How To Be Born Again, Billy Graham writes: “There’s a well known story of some men in Scotland who spent the day fishing. That evening they were having tea in a little Inn. One of the fishermen, in a characteristic gesture to describe the size of the fish that got away, slung out his hands just as the waitress was getting ready to set the cup of tea at his place. The hand and the tea cup collided, dashing the tea against the whitewashed walls. Immediately an ugly brown stain began to spread over the wall. The man who did it was very embarrassed and apologised profusely, but one of the other guests jumped up and said, “Never mind.” Pulling a pen from his pocket, he began to sketch around the ugly brown stain. Soon there emerged a picture of a magnificent royal stag with his antlers spread. That artist was Sir Edwin Landseer, England’s foremost painter of animals.” Graham went on to write, “This story has always beautifully illustrated to me the fact that if we confess not only our sins but our mistakes to God, He can make out of them something for our good and His glory.”

J.I. Packer said, “Our God is a God who not merely restores, but takes up our mistakes and follies into His plan for us and brings good out of them. That is part of the wonder of His gracious sovereignty.” 

Paul encourages us in Romans 8:28 that God can even make all things, (including our mistakes) work together for our good. None of us are exempt from making mistakes. Hopefully we learn a lesson from them and move on. Spurgeon said, “To confess that you were wrong yesterday is only to acknowledge that you are a little wiser today.” Some of the smartest men in the world have made big mistakes. Victor Kiam, of the famous Remmington razors, said he was once offered all the rights in the northern hemisphere to sell Velcro. He turned it down, thinking it was the stupidest idea he’d ever heard. Biggest regret of his life.

“I’m just glad it’ll be Clark Gable who’s falling on his face and not Gary Cooper” – Gary Cooper on his decision not to take the leading role in Gone With The Wind.

“We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out.” – Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962

“Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible.” – Lord Kelvin, President, Royal Society, 1895.

“Louis Pasteur’s theory of germs is ridiculous fiction. – Pierre Pachet, Professor of Physiology at Toulouse, 1872.

“Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil? You’re crazy” – Drillers whom Edwin L. Drake tried to enlist to his project to drill for oil in 1859.

“Everything that can be invented has been invented.” – Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, US Office of Patents, 1899.

So be encouraged, perhaps your mistake was not a daft as one of those. 

“God can give a straight blow with a crooked stick. He blesses us in spite of our blunders.” - Corrie ten Boom.

- Pastor David Goudy