Learning from your mistakes

Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Return, my son David. For I will harm you no more, because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Indeed I have played the fool and erred exceedingly.”        1 Samuel 26:21 nkjv

Charles Schultz, the creator of the comic strip “Peanuts,” had a grasp of human nature as only a few do. Who can’t identify with the series of cartoons where Lucy is trying to console Charlie Brown? She says, “Remember, Charlie Brown, you learn more from your defeats than you do from your victories.” And Charlie Brown replies, “That makes me the smartest man in the world!”

Strange how some do learn from their mistakes, and others never seem to grasp the lessons of their failures. Some find themselves knocked down by circumstances, complaining that they became victims. Others find themselves knocked down but learn to rise to new heights.

Those who learn from failure have several qualities in common:

Quality 1: They accept responsibility for their failure. Excuses are not part of their vocabulary. Instead of blaming others, they say, “It was my fault!”

Quality 2: They analyze the causes of their failure and strive to correct the flaws. Only those who do nothing make no mistakes. They learn from their failure. They believe failure need never be fatal and success is never final.

Quality 3: They have an unflagging spirit of determination to succeed. They use failure as a stepping stone to accomplishment.

Quality 4: They learn dependence upon God for what they lack.

God honors the man who acknowledges Him in times of failure, and gives grace to overcome. You can learn that failures can become the stepping stones to reaching your goals.