“The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” Psalm 145:8 (ESV)

Do you struggle to give yourself grace when you make a mistake? Do you worry you are letting God down?

I can be so hard on myself sometimes. If I mess up or neglect to do everything perfectly, I’m tempted to think that I’m failing God and that he is angry with me for not having it all together. These perceptions affect every area of my life, but I especially feel this way when I think I’ve fallen short of something God has called me to do.

When these thoughts and feelings come, I have to remind myself that those thoughts are untrue. God’s word tells us he is slow to anger, merciful, and loving. He isn’t suddenly going to become angry with us because we made a simple mistake.

I want to encourage you if you struggle with these same feelings and thoughts. If God has called you to it, don’t give up. Keep going, and persevere. If you mess up, learn from it but don’t stop doing what God has called you to do. Give yourself the grace to learn from your mistakes, mishaps, and shortcomings but don’t walk away from your calling. Keep moving forward, my friend!

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for being a merciful, compassionate God who is slow to anger. Please help me learn from my mistakes so I can grow in the calling you have given me. Please give me the strength and determination to persevere when I’m tempted to give up. In Jesus’ name, Amen!