“A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.” ~ John Maxwell
We are nearing the end of our series on Authenticity. We have just two more of the “7 Qualities of Truly Authentic People” to address that Stephen Joseph listed in his article written for Psychology Today. The sixth quality he mentions is:
Authentic people are open to learning from their mistakes
That seems a fitting subject to write upon in the first week of a new year. This is the season where most of us evaluate where we are and what needs to change in order to reach our goals. I am not a fan of the cynical voices that criticize people for making resolutions to do better and be better in the months ahead. We need a time in our lives where we reset and redirect that which is not working. Repentance, restoration, and renewal is Biblical. That is what the Good News is all about–being set free from that which holds us back from becoming true citizens of the heavenly kingdom.
Once we see the need for repentance in an area of our lives, we need something else in order to move out of our “stuck position.” We need wisdom. Fortunately, the Bible tells us that if we lack wisdom in an area of our lives, we should ask God for it. He reveals wisdom several ways, but I have found that primarily, God highlights it through his word. I learned to read through the entire Bible every year early in my walk with Christ. This is the start of my 24th year. I read a portion of the Old Testament, the New Testament, and then something out of both Psalms and Proverbs every day. I am always amazed at how Holy Spirit takes familiar passages of scripture and opens them up in new ways each time. Or, I am reminded of foundational principles that he builds upon. So, in January of 2020, I find myself back at the beginning of the Biblical narrative–Genesis.
Have you ever noticed that the first chapter of Genesis is a complete list of God’s activities during the initial creation week? Then, chapter 2 goes back to take a deeper look at the creation of mankind. That may be a given, but this year, when reading the account of Adam and Eve, I saw something that I have read over and over before, but this time–I actually saw it.
Genesis 2:5 (NIV) says, “Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground.”
In God’s eco-system, two things needed to happen in order for new plants to spring up out of the earth to sustain God’s creation–rain and someone to cultivate the ground. It is in this context that mankind is created. They (Adam and Eve) were created in the image of God, meaning they possessed like qualities associated with their creator. Therefore, they were to rule over God’s creation taking care to sustain the life that God had brought forth. They couldn’t bring the rain, but they certainly were to tend the ground. Genesis 2:15 specifically says of Adam, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” God then made Eve to help Adam in his given task.
*The first principle Holy Spirit highlighted to me in 2020 was that when we find ourselves stuck or missing the mark, we need to take a look at where we have failed to cultivate the ground assigned to us.
I then moved on to the New Testament. As only Holy Spirit can do, he highlighted a seemingly unrelated verse in Matthew and connected the proverbial dots for me. Matthew 1:19 highlights Joseph’s character a he learns of Mary’s news of expecting a child. Now, we know the backstory in that she was carrying Jesus through supernatural means. However, it was obviously shocking to Joseph’s sense of righteousness and decency since he could not have possibly understood the baby’s true origin. However, we read, “Because Joseph, her husband was faithful to the law, and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.” (Matthew 1:19 NIV).
*The second principle Holy Spirit highlighted to me in 2020 was that when you are confused about what you see, stay true to the Kingdom principles that have been cultivated in your heart.
That means we need to be diligent in our original task as God’s designated authority upon the earth––cultivate the ground. What ground is that? –your heart, your thoughts, your marriage, your family, your work, your ministry, your relationships, everything that constitutes your life.
But know this, there will be seasons that, no matter how well you have cultivated your ground, just do not make sense. In those moments, be true to whatever you have tended and plowed in the Kingdom. It will get you through the confusion. Most likely, what is happening is that Father is entrusting new ground to you to cultivate for his purposes. Not because you did everything perfectly, but because you were faithful to bring forth the good fruit of the land that had been given into your care. Sometimes that fruit is a harvest of blessing and sometimes that fruit is humility and repentance–but make no mistake that is the kind of fruit that Father is after and he says to that, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”
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