We can learn from mistakes

In last week's column, I misspelled Hannah and Cain's names. A couple of friends brought the errors to my attention. Unfortunately, I did not allow enough time for my wife or anyone else to proofread my article. Sometimes it is difficult to see your own mistakes and spell check is unreliable for proper names. Have you ever found errors in books that the editors missed? It happens. It is humbling to make such mistakes. I thought it would be appropriate to write a column on learning from mistakes.

Everyone makes mistakes. I always tell the congregation to have their Bibles open while I am preaching. I think it is a good practice to see if the speaker is quoting the words accurately, and to read the text for oneself. I have always learned better by reading than listening. I caution the audience I might test them. I have been known to preach that Job was swallowed by a whale. Did you catch that?

Pundits love to point out gaffs when a speaker misspeaks. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 10:19, "When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent." Our church is reading a chapter of Proverbs each day throughout the month of May. The context of this verse is when you are upset and say things you should not say, you will face consequences. The person who can keep silent benefits from not saying something he or she will later regret.

The reality is the more you communicate, the greater the odds of making a mistake, or repeating misinformation. Sometimes we are misunderstood, and sometimes we say something people do not want to hear. I am thankful for our First Amendment rights allow us to freely communicate our thoughts and feelings. Wisdom teaches us just because we can say something does not mean we should say it.

Sometimes the fear of making mistakes keeps people from achieving their goals. What if I try to earn a degree, or learn a new trade and I fail? When I was working on my master's degree I would come home and work for St. Louis Music in the summers. I remember a guy, in the warehouse, telling me that he was not "college material." Although he did not do well in high school, I think he could have earned a degree. Perhaps no one encouraged him to try? Thankfully, I was reared by a single parent mother who told me all my life I was going to college.

There have been times where fear of failure has affected my ministry. Not every sermon is a masterpiece, and not every organizational decision succeeds. I must remind myself Jesus is the only perfect person. When we are serving the Lord, we can trust him to accomplish his purposes. (See Romans 8:28).

I still get a little nervous before I preach. Did you know that the fear of public speaking is called glossophobia? I spelled correctly in case you were wondering. This falls under the category of a social anxiety disorder and is common among many different types of people. Even a person who can sing in front of a large crowd may be terrified to speak publicly. I am much more afraid of singing publicly than speaking. I love to preach, but it is still embarrassing to make mistakes. My goal is to learn from the mistakes and try not to repeat them.

The best way to get better at something, is to try, learn from mistakes, and try again until you improve. Did you attempt to learn a new skill during the lockdown? I dusted off my guitar and began trying to learn to play once again. There is no way I will acquire the ability to play the guitar if I cannot make mistakes. I must be patient with myself to get better. My goal is to play the guitar in church by 2025, too bad I am scared to sing.

May our mistakes be opportunities to learn and may we never stop trying to do better.