“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope — the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ….” (Titus 2:11-14

Some of the greatest lessons in life come from the mistakes that don’t kill us, from those bad decisions we survive. I’ve recognized that truth when saying things like, “Boy, that was a close call.” Or, “I’ll never do that again.” Hopefully, I won’t. Hopefully, I’ve learned the lesson, or in wisdom I’ve learned from others. It is the grace of God that builds blessed hope as we say “no” to making the same mistakes that either we or our friends have made and survived. It is the grace of God that brought me to faith in Christ.

When I was serving in the USMC in South Africa, I was out hiking one day and saw a snake in my path. I was so close that I quickly stepped on his head and then cut it off with my knife. Later, I found out that it was a Puff Adder, one of the most dangerous snakes in Africa because the venom attacks the nervous system very quickly. Had I known that, I would have thought better of engaging it in battle. It was a bad decision, but one I survived by God’s grace. I wouldn’t do it again, but I’m thankful to have learned from a mistake which didn’t kill me.

I have a list of things that I wouldn’t do again. You could probably name a few things as well. I’ve learned not to be flippant about poisonous snakes. I’ve learned that even ministry can have a warfare component full of hiding snakes and things that can bring pain. God has graced me with opportunities to learn from bad decisions that had a sting, seeing Him work all things to the good. I’ve also learned to stay away from ungodliness and worldly passions, because they have a deadly bite with addictive venom that can poison the soul.

If you’ve made a mistake lately, don’t hesitate to let someone else hear the lesson from you. If they are smart, they will listen. We can’t possibly learn everything the hard way. I’m thankful for the people who have shared their stories with me, giving me opportunity to avoid making the same mistakes.

“The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor.”

(Prov 15:33

Pastor Steve & Kristi Diehl