Imagine taking a test ten times and failing each time because of the same question. Wouldn’t it feel silly? Knowing where you went wrong, knowing what to change, and still failing nine more times.—This is how many people handle life. Their mistakes follow them wherever they go because they choose to live with them. Life challenges them, and each time they make the wrong choice.
The Bible highlights this:
“The ear that hears the rebukes of life will abide among the wise. He who disdains instruction despises his own soul, but he who heeds rebuke gets understanding.” (Proverbs 15:31–32)
In other words: Learn from our mistakes. If we listen when life corrects us, we actually grow wiser. Ignoring correction doesn’t protect us—it just delays us.
Mistakes, whether big or small, provide learning opportunities. However, the key is to be willing to learn from them. That means making the right choice the next time. Everyone makes mistakes, but no one likes receiving rebukes. However, the rebuke is a necessary part of making sure next time, we do things differently. It is a reminder that God cares for us.
So next time life hands you a “failed test”, take a breath and think about what God is teaching you. Wisdom can sometimes seem harsh in the moment—sometimes through the Word of God, sometimes through people, and sometimes through a failure, but in the end, if we value our souls, we choose to learn and move forward.
May the God of the Bible bless you!
Bishop Bira Joshua
