My choral director in college used to say, when he made a rare mistake, that he had been wrong once before. Like every dad joke, we youngsters would dutifully chuckle, because that’s what respect looks like at that age. Over the years, I have used that phrase many times, and people do the same for me, because it isn’t laugh until you cry funny – it’s just silly. We all make mistakes – nobody is perfect – we have all been wrong at least once before. For Christians, we confess every week. Some flavors of our faith expect their members to sit in a booth and tell a priest, while others do it together in Sunday worship. Me? I have personal confessions numerous times during the week; small transgressions, but still things that I need to recognize as opportunities to grow.
Lent provides an entire season to repent. Like Muslims and Jews and people in recovery, we recognize the need to grow past our imperfections and say we are sorry. We need to make things right. We need to admit that, while God made us good, good doesn’t equal perfection. We are told regularly that God loves us just the way we are, which is true; God also expects us to grow up and be better. It is hard to imagine that it would be okay with the Almighty if we all behaved like 2-year-olds, throwing tantrums every time we didn’t get what we wanted. Or like 12-year-olds, sulking because we couldn’t go to a party. The Apostle Paul wrote, “When I was a child, I spoke like a child – I thought like a child – I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways.” (1 Cor. 13: 11). It isn’t wrong to be wrong – it’s wrong to not admit we are wrong – and stay wrong. Right?
I hope you can find time this Lent to go deeper and stronger in faith. I hope you get to that mid-week supper or service and hear a little extra that might make you question where you are in life. I hope you take time every day to read or listen to wise words that push you to admit that you were wrong at least once before. Like my boy John Wesley used to preach (and I paraphrase), you can slide back or inch forward, but you can’t stay still. We are either becoming more or less; nobody can – or should want to – go through life without changing. We all sin – we all make mistakes – but the difference between a sinner and a hypocrite is whether we are willing to admit our failures. It’s okay to be wrong, but it isn’t okay to stay that way. Good luck on the journey!
Prayer – Holy God, You made us as beautiful, yet flawed, beings in Your image. Help us to grow more towards You. Amen.
I can’t find the origin of this picture, but I think it’s pretty cool.