15
Don’t Worry about Getting It Wrong
Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.
Proverbs 19:21
As I write these words, I can see a plaque with the verse above sitting on my desk just to the right of my computer screen. It was created by Dee Kasberger from Red Letter Words, and I look at it several times a day. When I find myself freezing up, afraid to move ahead, it gives me the courage to keep pressing on—even if I don’t know exactly what to do.
We’re human, and we’ll never be able to figure everything out. We learn as we go, and that means we’ll inevitably make mistakes. Here’s a little whisper: mistakes are different from sin. A mistake is a result of being human, an imperfection that reminds us we are not God, a place in our lives where God’s power can be “made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). Sin is outright rebellion, a deliberate defiance. When it comes to sin, God has strong words to say. When it comes to being human and making mistakes or having areas where we are weak, he reassures us that he can make up the difference.
Our humanity is not too much for God. “He knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust” (Ps. 103:14). When we put pressure on ourselves to be perfect, we actually sabotage our progress. We will make many plans. We will set many goals. We will try many different ways of doing things. Some will work and others won’t. That’s not failure—it’s learning.
You can explore and have freedom on this journey to change because in the end God’s purpose will prevail. You are made in the image of an endlessly creative God. That means you don’t have to lock yourself into rigid ways of doing things. And you don’t have to live in fear of getting it wrong. Here’s a hint: you will get it wrong. More than once. I will too.
The fear of “doing it wrong” can trap us into doing something even worse: doing nothing at all. The biggest risk is not taking one. The surest route to failure is not to try. The best way to not get somewhere is to never start the journey.
A few years ago on the first day of the year I wrote these words in my journal: God values growth and connection over perfection. I still refer back to them sometimes. You can’t be perfect. It’s not even possible. But you can choose to grow, and that means being willing to make mistakes along the way.
At some point on your journey to change, you’ll feel like you’re doing it wrong. If you’re growing through what you’re doing, just carry on. That feeling probably just means you’re doing it differently than someone else. The journey you and God take will be unique to you. If what you’re doing isn’t actually working well, resist any shame or guilt and just stop to ask, “What would work better?” Keep tweaking your plan until you find what works, and ask for God’s guidance as you do.
God’s purposes will prevail in your life. And with him, you will prevail too.
When you struggle with feeling like you’re “doing it wrong,” what helps you press on?