How to Find Freedom from Your Mistakes

When was the last time you made mistakes? When did you do something that you realized was wrong or hurt someone else? When did you last sin?

Chances are you don’t have to think back very far because we all make mistakes. While we may say we know that it can be hard to know how to handle it when it happens. Sometimes we deny it or pretend it doesn’t happen.

Other times we just avoid thinking about our mistakes, feeling like it’s easier that way. Still, there are sometimes we are tempted to mentally beat ourselves up, never giving ourselves the chance to walk in freedom from the things we do wrong.

But you can find freedom from your mistakes in Christ. As you learn to do this, it helps to understand how your mistakes affect you and what you can do about them.

The stress of making mistakes

While you may understand that everyone makes mistakes, it can be hard to handle your own. If you do something wrong, it is tempting to carry that with you, always internally berating yourself. While this may seem insignificant, as if it’s not hurting anyone, the truth is that it is hurting you.

When you carry your mistakes with you, you carry around mental stress you were never meant to hold. It’s as if you’re dragging around heavy, old luggage that doesn’t serve you. Whether your mistake seems small like a short-tempered interaction, or something bigger, it wears on you mentally as well as physically as you continue to carry the stress of something you’ve done.

Mistakes: Facing your humanity

It would be nice if we never made mistakes, wouldn’t it? Things would feel good and safe. But the reality is that we all make mistakes.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. – Romans 3:23, NASB

That means every single person.

If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. – 1 John 1:8

As much as we wish we had no sin, the Bible is clear that every person on earth sins. But the Bible is also clear about our forgiveness. The very next verse reminds us: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

While you do have sin in your life, you also have access to complete forgiveness. Still, sometimes it can feel hard to believe that. That is why it’s so important to remind yourself of the hope you have in Christ when you are struggling with the mental stress of your sin.

Mistakes: 10 tips to help you feel free

When you are struggling with your sin, try these things to help you feel the forgiveness and freedom God offers.

1. Recognize how you feel. You need to start by being honest about how you are feeling. It is often tempting to stay in a place of denial, but honesty is always the better path.

2. Identify what you did wrong. This isn’t about beating yourself up. This is your opportunity to recognize the sin. For example, if you were short-tempered with your spouse today, simply identify that for yourself.

Don’t go down unnecessary paths like I’m a terrible spouse or blame them with things like they always push my buttons. Simply identify that you were short-tempered. This is not for anyone but you.

3. Read God’s Word. The Word of God is living and active, able to help you understand things you can’t on your own. It also brings peace and reassurance of God’s character. When you face your sin, you need what the Word of God offers. Even a verse or two makes a big difference.

 4. Pray. It is tempting to stay away from God when you are facing your sin. Often, people want to fix things first and then come to Him. Instead, you can come to Him completely honest without fixing a single thing.

Bring Him your thoughts and feelings. Nothing you think or feel will turn Him away from you. This is also the perfect time to remind yourself of His faithfulness, goodness, and love.

5. Ask for God’s forgiveness. In His Word, He promises to forgive you, fully and completely. The promise from 1 John 1:9 rings true here. God will forgive your sins completely. You don’t need to beg. You simply need to confess and ask for His forgiveness. The size of the sin doesn’t matter to God. He forgives it all.

6. Accept God’s forgiveness. This can be one of the hardest things to do when you carry the mental stress of your mistakes. Sometimes people struggle to believe that God has forgiven them. Believing in God’s forgiveness is an act of faith. When you don’t feel like you have the faith to believe, ask God for it and choose to believe in His promise.

7. Listen to worship music. When you listen to worship music it reminds you of who God is in your life. It helps fortify the foundation of your faith, so you feel more confident in His promises as you walk forward in forgiveness. Worship can also help your spirit in ways you can’t on your own. The Holy Spirit can bring healing and freedom to places in your heart as you listen and praise the Lord.

8. Follow God’s leading to apologize and make things right. You won’t always have the opportunity to do this. Sometimes circumstances prevent us from apologizing to another person or fixing the problem. As God leads you, however, apologizing can make a big difference. It is part of how we move on and find healing. When you don’t have the opportunity to do this, you can trust that God is in control of the things you cannot be. He is always faithful.

9. Let go of your guilt. If you’ve gone through the earlier steps, you’ve brought your mistakes to God. That heavy luggage you were carrying was opened before God and He forgave you. But if you pick it back up and carry it with you, you haven’t let go of your guilt. Choose to let it go. It may be a choice you have to make repeatedly before you feel it, but it makes a big difference.

10. Move on. Now you need to walk forward. You have brought your sin to God and been forgiven. You have apologized and even forgiven yourself. You cannot stay in your mistake. You’re healing and freedom from the mistake you made are dependent on you choosing to move on from it. You can no longer live in a state of mental stress, berating yourself for what you did. It is time to move forward in freedom, trusting God to help you every step of the way.

Final thoughts

This is not a magic list. It is also not something you will do once and never need again. This is a process that you will need as long as you live on the earth because you are human. God doesn’t expect you to be anything other than who you are, even with your sin.

While the list is not magic, it will, however, help you feel the freedom Christ offers you when you are carrying the mental stress of your mistakes.

We understand that this isn’t always an easy, ten-step checklist you can go through. This takes work and struggle. Sometimes you need help along the way. If you’re having trouble carrying the mental stress of mistakes, we can help. Reach out to our therapists today and we will help you find healing and freedom from your mistakes.