Happen to you? Of course. It really is immaterial how you got to ‘wrong’… you did! So did the world stop? No.? Was it catastrophic? How did it affect and/or change you? others? What did you DO about being ‘wrong’? We can gain some comfort and perspective when we read Proverbs. There is a wealth of practical (common sense) knowledge there.
“He who conceals s transgressions will not prosper, But whoever confesses and turns aways from his sins will find compassion and mercy.” (28:13)
Remember that this uncomfortable state occurs for all of us. The Problem is always admitting when we’re wrong…. and then doing all the wrong things to save face? That IS a familiar approach for people when faced with their error. I will contend that this is the single most important factor and contributor to frustration, confusion, and division. We aren’t infallible so the chances are fairly high that we all will be wrong – sometime, some place, with someone. The point is to NOT compound the problem but to resolve any issues, misunderstandings, errors, etc. that evolved from the error. ‘Covering it up’ rarely works and often puts the spotlight on us instead.
Hopefully not putting too mundane a spin on this … remember the song in My Fair Lady when the mystified (dense) professor sings to his friend, “Why can’t a woman be like a man”? The song ends with – why can’t a woman be like me! Which really sums up the problem – unless it is you…. no one acts like you. Being surprised should never be our reaction. And this is true regardless of whether it’s a man or a woman – it happens to us all.
‘Wrong’ is rarely something we can ignore… nor can we distance ourselves from our involvement. (Most irritating…) So now that we have mud on our face, what do we do? Obviously rid ourselves of the mud and then, if we’ve learned and show maturity, we don’t try to weasel out or point fingers… we seek those who are the most likely to know how to ‘fix’ the situation. We’re still involved. We’re still responsible… but we’ve realized that assistance is an asset.
Not every ‘wrong’ is a sin (though every sin is wrong), but we still can gain wisdom and direction from these scriptural answers Besides, who among us wouldn’t seek help to resolve the situation? The answer is… the vast majority. Really self-defeating. Another Proverbs verse says:
“Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.” (16:18)
I’ve learned, perhaps the hard way, that pride and haughty get us nowhere so why even head in that direction. We need to resolve our wrong and move on. Most wrongs require resolution and this always makes for a stronger foundation. If your situation is one of “horrors, I was wrong’, then get a grip, admit your mistake, resolve, and move on. So much more effective this way…
