Ep. 468 Typical Mistakes People Make to Feel Better

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Shows Main Idea – There are five universal reactions to our mistakes. Four of them are wrong, and one is correct. As you think about what you do wrong, what is your most common response after making a mistake? Let’s say you sin against someone, and they confront you about what you did. Which one of these common responses do you typically use? Understanding our tendencies is the first step in changing. If your most common response is one of the four, I trust the next few minutes will be life-changing for you.

Show Notes

You may want to read:

• The Vital Difference Between Godly and Worldly Sorrow
• Be Honest or Your Conscience Will Take Revenge on You
• Do You Know How to Train Your Inner Voice?

None Righteous

We all make mistakes. Maybe every day. Sometimes these miscues are sins, while other times, we do something dumb, though it does not transgress God’s truth. By the end of our lives, we will have made zillions of them—big and small. We are probably more aware of our significant problems, but it’s the little ones that can fly under the radar of our hearts and cause so much dysfunction in our lives, creating blindness that matures into imperceptible habits.

A Christian’s best course of action is to have these discussions among competent friends. We have a solution because God’s favor is in our lives; we can change. 1 John 1:9 appeals to us to confess our sins to God to become clean, while Galatians 6:1-3 and Ephesians 4:22-24 provide templates for change as we come alongside each other.

Helpful Quotes

• Christians are the only people who can effectually change in long-term, sustainable ways.
• To know you’ve made a mistake is a mercy from the Lord.
• Self-awareness is an opportunity to rejoice, not be morbid. There is hope and help for the believer.
• Letting your conscience be your guide could be dangerous.
• We need more than God’s Word because we can misinterpret it.
• An episodic mistake is not as bad as a pattern.
• The Christian life is repentance and ongoing repenting.
• Don’t blame, justify, rationalize, or alleviate. Name it, claim it, and repent.

Helpful Scriptures

• Biblical Record Is Clear: Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:7-10; James 5:16; Ephesians 4:22
• Effects of Wrong Responses: Hebrews 3:7-8; Hebrews 4:8; Hebrews 5:12-14; 1 Timothy 4:2; Romans 1:20; 1 Corinthians 2:14; John 3:7; James 4:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; Ephesians 4:30

The Conscience

• Conscience
• Con-science or Co- knowledge
• Inner voice
• Our barometer for morality

Morality Adjusters

• Canon: God’s Word gives us clarity (John 17:17).
• Comforter: The Spirit of God illuminates our minds (John 16:13).
• Community: The people of God come alongside us (Hebrews 10:24-25).
• Conscience: Our conscience should be in tune with God’s Word (Romans 2:14-15).

Four Mistakes

• Justify: To declare your actions as not guilty. (The danger of forgiving yourself)
• Rationalize: To downplay your actions by making them acceptable.
• Blame: To accuse someone or something else for what you did.
• Alleviate: To numb yourself by other bad habits, e.g., TV binge-watching.

Right Response

• Repentance

Call to Action

1. How self-aware are you about your mistakes?
2. Do you see your mistakes as opportunities to grow or be inward and morbid?
3. Do you see how it is God’s kindness to reveal what is wrong with you to you?
4. Will you talk to God and a friend about this podcast?
5. Will you find a community for ongoing care?
6. Will you practice repentance daily? – The Christian life is repentance and ongoing repenting.

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Rick Thomas

Rick launched the Life Over Coffee global training network in 2008 to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. His primary responsibilities are resource creation and leadership development, which he does through speaking, writing, podcasting, and educating.

In 1990 he earned a BA in Theology and, in 1991, a BS in Education. In 1993, he received his ordination into Christian ministry, and in 2000 he graduated with an MA in Counseling from The Master’s University. In 2006 he was recognized as a Fellow of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC).