“Forget what happened in the past, and do not dwell on events from long ago.” – Isaiah 43:18 (GWT) 

While it’s true that everyone makes mistakes, not everyone is willing to learn from their mistakes. As a result, many people keep repeating the same old mistakes again and again. But by the grace of God and applying the wisdom He gave us, you can recover from your mistakes and failures.

Here are three ways to recover from your mistakes: 

  1. Acknowledge your wrongs. Humbling ourselves to admit that we’ve failed is the first step to moving forward. Take personal responsibility for your actions, receive God’s forgiveness, and commit to not going down the same path again.
  2. Learn from the past, but do not stay there. Don’t let the mistakes of your past dictate your future. Use every experience as a learning opportunity. Although we cannot change the past, we can change ourselves by learning from our mistakes.
  3. Get up and move forward. Your past does not define you. Don’t let failure keep you from getting back up. Just because you’ve failed doesn’t mean God’s plan for your life has failed. You may have to press a little harder, but I declare that your best days are still right before you!

“Then the LORD asked him, “What is that in your hand?” “A shepherd’s staff,” Moses replied.” – Exodus 4:2 (NLT)

Is there something standing between you and your dreams? Do you need God to open a door, touch a person’s heart, or provide for you in an unusual way? 

The children of Israel found themselves in a similar predicament. Once when they faced the Red Sea, God made a way when it looked impossible (Read Exodus 14). Surprisingly, the answer didn’t come out of the sky. The pivotal moment came when God reminded Moses of what he had in his hand.

When God asked this question, the only thing in Moses’ hand was a shepherd’s staff. To others it didn’t seem like much, but to Moses it was his seed to go forward into his destiny! 

Like Moses, God has called us to do some big things. Yet too often we think we lack something that we really don’t need. Notice that God didn’t ask Moses to give Him something he didn’t already have.

So what’s in your hand? A seed? An idea? An opportunity? The thing in your hand may seem totally inadequate to meet the needs in your life. However, you’ll be amazed by what can happen when you give it to God.

“Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new.” – 2 Corinthians 5:17 (CEV) 

Knowing who you are in Christ is the key to victorious living as a Christian. When you accept Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you take on a brand new identity.  You no longer have to carry around names or labels you were called in your past. 

The Word of God assures us that anyone, regardless of race or status, who comes to Christ has become a new creation. Old things have passed away and now all things have become new. The literal translation of this scripture says that you are “a new species of being that never existed before.”

Although nothing may have changed physically on the outside, everything has completely changed on the inside. However, the only way to know who you are in Christ is by knowing what God’s Word says about you. If you don’t know the truth about who you are, then you’ll believe the lie about what you’re not. 

What Christ says about you trumps every negative word spoken against you.  Knowing who you are in Christ also means knowing what Jesus purchased on your behalf. A revelation of this truth will enable you to access your full inheritance and walk in total victory! 

“We must give our full attention to what we were told, so we won’t drift away.” – Hebrews 2:1 (CEV)

Everything that crosses your mind is not always worth your focus. Sometimes we give too much attention to things that do not matter, and not enough attention to things that do.

Things like spending time with God, going after your dreams, making a difference, being a blessing, helping others succeed, building quality relationships, investing in yourself are all examples of time well spent focusing on things that matter.

Life is too short to dwell on past hurts and failures. If you want to start living a positive and productive life, you must learn to start giving your attention to things that truly matter. When your thoughts are productive, then your actions will also be productive.