Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”
II Samuel 12:7a “And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man.”
II Samuel 12:13a “And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned again the Lord.”
At this year’s State of the Union address, leaders of the military were invited as is typical as a part of the pomp and circumstance of the event. This year, General Joseph Lengyel, the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, was a part of that august entourage. There was only one problem with this plan; General Lengyel’s uniform was out of regulations – he had put on his impressive ribbon rack upside down for the world to see.
General Lengyel’s response was impressively and admirably humble. It was reflective and it was instructive. He tweeted the following as a result of the event:
“Question: What’s wrong with this picture? I’ll give you a hint…It’s why they keep putting erasers on pencils. Answer: The ribbons on my uniform are upside down. Let this be a lesson and don’t let it happen to you!”
He went on to post these thoughts:
“Well, we’re all human, including me. And, as I made a final check in the mirror just before I walked out the door, I missed it…Plain and simple. I hope this is a lesson for everyone who wears the uniform, and really for anyone…They put erasers on pencils for a reason. When you make a mistake or miss a detail, own it and move on. One thing is for sure…My ribbons will NEVER be upside down again.”
General Lengyel is right in so many ways. We are all human. We all make mistakes and miss details. When we do, we should learn from our errors. We should acknowledge our faults. Ultimately, when we fall short we should own it and move on.
Nathan courageously confronted King David about his series of sins and shortcomings, and David owned it. He fasted, and prayed, and repented, and moved on. When we fall short, we must do the same. Covering our errors or wallowing in our mistakes will sap our energy and hinder our testimony. Instead, we must move on for God.
PLEASE PRAY FOR CHRISTIANS TO LEARN FROM OUR ERRORS AND ACKNOWLEDGE OUR FAULTS. When we stray from God’s plan, we must own it and move on.
