Day 10 of 90: Should I be thankful for my mistakes?

SHOULD I BE THANKFUL FOR MY MISTAKES? by Shaun Saunders 

Opening Song: For every mountain by Kurt Carr

Closing Song: TBA

Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. Genesis 37:5

I have heard so many sermons about Joseph—we all have! Joseph is a popular Old Testament character. His story is one of triumph and elevation; a pit to the palace theme that inspires all of us to have faith in God despite the circumstances around us. Most preachers never teach about
Joseph without stumbling up on this lesson: “be careful who you share your dreams with. Why? Because Joseph’s brothers used his words against him. So, ask God to reveal the right people who can handle your dreams.”

And this is true. Sometimes we talk too much and we give too many people access to the passwords of our heart. Sometimes we share too much with people who clearly don’t need to be told a thing. There are even times that we fall by the sword of our own loose tongue, and when we do not discipline ourselves to keep some things a secret, the world will publish our breaking story without our permission. So, yes, it is very important that we guard our tongue, guard our hearts, and be careful whom we share our dreams with. But there could be another way of looking at it. Did it ever occur to you that Joseph’s mistake gave his destiny permission to begin? Did it occur to you that his promotion might not have ever happened had Joseph kept his mouth shut? Just think. What if God allowed Joseph, in his naiveté, to spill the seeds of his future into the garden of his brothers, all so that the planting process could begin?

What if jealousy was his fertilizer? What if betrayal was his water? And what if false accusation was the sunlight he needed to spring forth into a palace that he would’ve never seen if he hadn’t opened his mouth; an abundance he would’ve never enjoyed if he hadn’t opened his mouth; a God he would’ve never known if he hadn’t first experienced the forsakenness of his family? 

Here’s the point: What if the mistake you keep wishing never happened was the best mistake of your life? What if your most humiliating memory helped you to develop a heart to love those that most people won’t? We all have something in our past that we wish had never happened. Somebody has a criminal record they wish could go away. Others have made poor love decisions that left them with 5 kids and a rerouted destiny. Still others feel like we weren’t exposed to life because church was all we knew. But what if all this was a part of the master plan? What if God included the messiness of your mistake into the recipe of your destiny, in order that you might be the person you are today? Joseph beware— you may be beating yourself up for something in your past that was meant to promote you in your future.

Let me share a secret with you: if I knew what God foreknew about my end from the beginning, I would’ve made the mistake sooner. If I knew where my experiences would lead me, I would’ve submitted to the process quicker. Get this: I do not glory in my mistakes, because some things I brought on myself unnecessarily. However, I will no longer allow my mistakes to guilt me. There is no condemnation to those who are in the Lord. So I will not let personal paranoia or human guilt, keep me from professing what God is doing through me. Whether your brothers squeal on you, plot your demise, or steal your idea, God is in control. The idea He has given you and the dreams He has for you, have your DNA on it! All things work together for the good—including the bad things! Today, look back over every mistake and follow its trail down to the door of your today. You might discover that it was the best mistake you ever made.