Have you ever messed up? Like...really blew it?
When this happens, we tend to wonder what God will think of us. It leaves us asking the question: what does the Bible say about messing up? Are there even Bible verses about mistakes? Can God really make the wrong things right?
I have great news for you: No matter what you’ve done, who you’ve disappointed or hurt - Jesus is eager to forgive you. Not only that, but He wants to help you live out your purpose in life.
The Bible is full of people who majorly messed up. This means that there’s even Bible verses about messing up and verses about mistakes. Thankfully, God still helped them do amazing things in life. Even if you don’t know anything about the Bible, you’ve probably heard of some of these people and the mistakes they made:
David (from “David and Goliath” fame): Took someone’s wife and had the husband killed
Moses (who said to the Pharaoh, “Let my people go”): Commited murder
Noah (Yes, the Noah with the Ark): Got drunk
Paul (who wrote most of the New Testament): Arrested Christians and had them killed
Even if you think you’ve messed up beyond repair, God can still do incredible things through you. As we can see through Bible verses about mistakes, there is still a purpose for your life – even if you’ve messed up.
What Does God Say When We Mess Up?
If God were directly in front of you right now, He would probably say something like:
“Come home!”
“Follow my ways!”
“I still love you!”
“This doesn’t have to be your portion – through my Son, you can be free from sin!”
God knows when we mess up and He wants us to come to Him to be free from sin and learn from our mistakes. His tone towards us, even when marked with correction, is out of compassion to see us made whole through Jesus Christ.
How Does God Deal With Our Mistakes?
When we mess up, God has the ability to forgive us because of the blood of His son, Jesus Christ. Jesus became the atonement for our sins. Atonement is just a big word for reparation, making amends, or redemption. As we see in 2 Corinthians 5:21:
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Bible verses about messing up always point us back to God being our savior. Scripture verses about mistakes clearly tell us that Jesus took on our sin and separated our sins from us as far as the east is from the west. (Psalm 103:12)
When You Sin, Turn TO God - Not Away From Him
God is not surprised when you sin. He’s not intimidated by your mistakes. In fact, He wants to be with you and walk alongside you when you’ve sinned. Through Jesus, we can receive forgiveness for our mistakes!
In the Bible, there’s a story to describe God called “The Prodigal Son.” In the story, a son asks his father for his inheritance and blows it on a wild lifestyle. When the son loses everything, he comes back to his father’s house. His father sees his son approaching and starts running toward his son and restores his son’s place in the family.
When you turn to God after you sin, God runs to you. He doesn’t reject you. He’s not annoyed and He doesn’t run out of forgiveness.
When you mess up, the safest place to run is to God. Don’t run away from Him.
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When You Sin, Know That God Will Advocate for You
What does the Bible say that Jesus does when we sin?
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. -1 John 2:1
Verses about mistakes show us that God is merciful. The word “advocate” means “to support” or “to plead for.” When we mess up, God is making a case for you. He is championing your cause!
This is the amazing thing about Jesus. He takes our sin upon Himself and gives us His forgiveness - every time!
When You Sin, Remember Who You Are
Bible verses about mistakes teach that God doesn’t define you by your biggest mistake. In fact, the Bible says He doesn’t even remember your biggest mistake!
So, you shouldn’t let your sin define you, either. There’s a difference between your behavior and your identity.
You are chosen, forgiven, pure, and loved. You're a child of God. God created you on purpose and for a purpose. You have the hope of spending eternity in heaven.
Our identity cannot be changed by what we do.
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When You Sin, Change Your Mind & Move On
Open your heart up to God. Talk to Him about your sin, ask for forgiveness, and ask Him to help you.
Ask God to show you how to change your mind about whatever thoughts, habits, or feelings led you to sin. There may be some activities, people, or circumstances that you need to avoid in order to resist temptation in the future. Open your life fully to God’s help because He wants the very best for you.
Life with God is an adventure - there will be times when you fall down. But, don’t get stuck. Keep going. God is there to help you!
What Does God Say About Your Past Mistakes?
Because of Jesus, our past mistakes are forgiven. Truly: forgiven. It’s wild just how much God loves us and how far He’s willing to go to clear us from the stain of sin and past mistakes. As you’ll read in the upcoming verses about mistakes, you will learn what the Bible says about messing up and receiving God’s love and forgiveness!
Where in the Bible Does it Talk About Mistakes? | Bible Verses For When You Mess Up:
What does the Bible say about when we mess up? What does the Bible say about mistakes? Get ready! Scripture has some good news!
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. - 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
Bible verses about messing up often showcase that we are human, we are weak, and because of our weakness and humanity, we fall short. This verse about mistakes and weakness tells us that when we are weak, Jesus is strong in us. Christ’s power strengthens us and His grace is sufficient for us.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. - 1 John 1:9
This Bible verse about messing up tells us exactly what to do when we make a mistake. Confess our sins – don’t hide it! When we confess our sins to God and to a healthy community, God forgives us and cleanses us. What an incredible promise!
as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. - Psalm 103:12
Bible verses about messing up don’t usually focus on our sin, rather they focus on God’s grace. Verses about mistakes magnify His works, not ours. Because of Jesus, we are set free. His grace and forgiveness are the most important part of your life story, not your mistakes.
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How Does God Want Us to Learn from Our Mistakes?
What does the Bible say about making mistakes? Can we learn from them?
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. - 1 John 1:8
What does God say about mistakes? In 1 John 1:8 we read that we can’t claim to be without sin or without mistake. We have to be honest with God. Verses about mistakes encourage us to acknowledge our sins to God. We must be honest with ourselves and honest with God about our mistakes. Then, when we confess our sins to God, He is quick to forgive.
Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead - Philippians 3:13
This Bible verse about messing up is clear about what we should do: forget the past, focus on the future, and do our very best to bring the Kingdom of God to earth. Our sins have been forgiven, so leave them behind you! Verses about mistakes invite you to press on for the life God has for you.
Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. - Philippians 4:9
The best way to learn from your mistakes is to put God’s Word into practice. What does the Bible say about mistakes? Confess, repent, and learn the ways of Jesus! Study scripture and put it into practice by applying it to your life. Verses about mistakes invite us to put God’s Truth into practice and turn from our former ways.
What Does the Bible Say To Do When You Are Wronged?
Sometimes it’s not us making the mistake, but rather someone sinning against us. Maybe a friend betrayed you or someone you trusted told a big lie. When we are wronged, we feel the pain with Jesus, not apart from him. As time goes on, we follow Jesus’ command to forgive and to bless those who have hurt us.
To learn more about this topic, read our blog: 5 Truths About Loving Difficult People
Conclusion
These Bible verses about mistakes show us that, when we mess up, God is the best and safest place to run. We don’t need to hide from Him in shame. He is looking for you, wanting to be in a relationship with you, and He wants to make the wrong things right.
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