Shattered glass

Recently I counseled several employees on how to deal with people making mistakes. It is the non-human who does not make mistakes; humans make mistakes. I make my share along with everyone else. (Yes I am human and not an ogre.) With this concept in mind I formulate my strategy for dealing with mistakes. There is a widely held concept, “To err is human but to forgive is divine”.

I am not divine by a long shot, but still do not have a problem forgiving others their mistakes. Some would argue that point but I would point out that there is a difference in “forgiving” the mistake and enforcing a consequence for it. One can forgive and enforce – God does this. I would mention that the Bible teaches the concept that there are consequences in life. Consider throwing a rock at a plate glass window. The instant it leaves your hand you may regret it and realize you just made a mistake; however the window will be shattered by it and “someone” must pay for it.

When sin shattered our lives and we were faced with a consequence of being sentenced to death for it, Jesus Christ not only forgave those of us who were sorry for our sins and of our own free will repented and accepted Him as our Savior, He willingly paid the consequence for your sins and mine on the cross with His life in our stead. God is righteous and just. Sins must be punished and He will punish them be it through Jesus or on our own as sure as the sun comes up in the East.

I have no problem forgiving someone for making a mistake, but I generally make it a rule that whoever made the mistake must enjoy their own consequences. I suppose that means, “Not to pay the price for other’s mistakes is human, but to take their punishment is divine”.

I do not fire everyone who makes a mistake; otherwise everyone including me would be gone, but I do not personally take their punishment for them and/or let them off with a wink and a nod either. Some consider this harsh, but it is perfectly logical to me. Consider the traffic cop who stops the drunk. Should he just give him a friendly warning, drive him home and put him to bed? Or should he arrest him, take his license for six months, send him to drunk driver’s school, and let him stay in jail for three days and perhaps perform some community service time in addition to that? Who would be more likely to be back on the road drunk the next night? Paris Hilton maybe?

There must be consequences. When you make a mistake, learn from it, accept your consequences with an attitude of realizing that you made a mistake and deserve a consequence for it, and try never to make that same mistake again, (and for heaven sakes teach your children this concept and if you love them enforce it…with the rod if necessary).

Proverbs 27:5
Open rebuke is better
Than love carefully concealed.