Three Men Make A Mistake
The term “mistake” is defined as “an error or a fault resulting from defective judgment, deficient knowledge, or carelessness” (American Heritage Dictionary).
Making mistakes is a common plight among us weak and frail creatures. No matter how hard we try not to, at times we simply mess up, don’t we? That is unfortunate. Sometimes we may even mess up with God – and that is very serious! But, thankfully, God is merciful. Yet, please understand that His gracious mercy is not a license to sin (Rom. 6:1-2). If a child were to accidentally knock over a glass of water, no doubt patience and forgiveness would be extended to them by the loving parents. However, if they were to ask, “Daddy, may I knock over a glass of water?” the answer would be “No.” Likewise, God does not grant permission to commit even one sin. This is precisely why we should not make light of making mistakes. While some mistakes may not be sinful or hurtful, others may be both.
Three men make a sinful mistake. The first man messed up and he knew better. He is like the man who directly disobeyed the Lord’s command, and it cost him his life (1 Kings 13:1-26). The second man messed up because of ignorance (that is, he didn’t know better – though perhaps he should have). This man may remind us of those who came to wrong conclusions about the Scriptures – to whom Jesus said, “Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures...You are therefore greatly mistaken” (Mk. 12:24-27). The third man messed up because he let his guard down (he became careless). He is like one who fell into temptation because he failed to continually “watch and pray” (Matt. 26:41).
Friends, in truth, there are a variety of ways that a person can mess up. And while it should be obvious that we are not perfect, that is not an excuse to make mistakes. Think of it this way: the mind that is trained in the way of righteousness will be far less likely to fail the Lord; whereas the one that is trained by worldliness is guaranteed to fail (Rom. 12:1-2). We may all goof once in a while, but there is a difference between stumbling by accident and stumbling by training.
Aaron Veyon
