Mary Pickford, the silent film actress, was once quoted as saying, “If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call ‘failure’ is not the falling down, but the staying down.”

Mistakes may occur when some of the physical decisions you make fail to produce the results you expect (we’re not talking about moral sins here). Yet how you handle the consequences of those decisions determines whether they are mistakes or opportunities for personal growth. You can choose to give up, lie down and do nothing, or you can use your mistakes as an opportunity to learn. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

When you feel you have made a mistake, turn to God in prayer and ask for His guidance and direction. God in His infinite wisdom provides us with many opportunities to grow, and through these opportunities we develop character, strength and endurance. Remember, a mistake is only a mistake if we refuse to learn from it.