With all the mistakes I’ve made, do I have any hope?

Genesis 15:6Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.

Genesis 16:1-4Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not been able to bear children for him. But she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, “The Lord has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her.” And Abram agreed with Sarai’s proposal. So Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian servant and gave her to Abram as a wife. (This happened ten years after Abram had settled in the land of Canaan.) So Abram had sexual relations with Hagar, and she became pregnant.

Genesis 20:2Abraham introduced his wife, Sarah, by saying, “She is my sister.” So King Abimelech of Gerar sent for Sarah and had her brought to him at his palace.

Abram made many mistakes. So how could God call him “righteous”? Despite his bad choices, Abram believed and trusted in God. His faith, not perfection, made him right in God’s eyes. This same principle is true for us. Rather than measuring our goodness, God is looking for our faith and our willingness to follow him. When God finds faith in us, he declares us righteous.

Judges 16:17-28Finally, Samson shared his secret with her. “My hair has never been cut,” he confessed, “for I was dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as anyone else.” . . . So the Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes. They took him to Gaza, where he was bound with bronze chains and forced to grind grain in the prison. . . . Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “Sovereign Lord, remember me again. O God, please strengthen me just one more time. With one blow let me pay back the Philistines for the loss of my two eyes.”

Samson’s life was filled with foolish mistakes, but he was still used mightily by God. If God refused to use his people when they made mistakes, no one would ever accomplish anything for him.

2 Chronicles 18:31-32So when the Aramean chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat in his royal robes, they went after him. “There is the king of Israel!” they shouted. But Jehoshaphat called out, and the Lord saved him. God helped him by turning the attackers away from him. As soon as the chariot commanders realized he was not the king of Israel, they stopped chasing him.

God still helped Jehoshaphat even though he made the mistake of ignoring the warnings of the prophet Micaiah. God will help us even in the midst of our mistakes, if we ask him.

Matthew 26:69-75Meanwhile, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came over and said to him, “You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean.” But Peter denied it in front of everyone. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. Later, out by the gate, another servant girl noticed him and said to those standing around, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” Again Peter denied it, this time with an oath. “I don’t even know the man,” he said. A little later some of the other bystanders came over to Peter and said, “You must be one of them; we can tell by your Galilean accent.” Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know the man!” And immediately the rooster crowed. Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he went away, weeping bitterly.

Philippians 3:13-14I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

Jesus restored Peter to fellowship and used him to build the early church, even after his most terrible mistake of outright denial. Following Jesus means allowing him to forgive our mistakes and help us work toward a better future.

Exodus 2:11-12Many years later, when Moses had grown up, he went out to visit his own people, the Hebrews, and he saw how hard they were forced to work. During his visit, he saw an Egyptian beating one of his fellow Hebrews. After looking in all directions to make sure no one was watching, Moses killed the Egyptian and hid the body in the sand.

Hebrews 11:27It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.

Even Moses’ life was marred by a troubling mistake, but the Bible records his life as a life lived faithfully before God.

Jonah 1:3But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord.

Jonah 1:17; 2:10; 3:1-2Now the Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights. . . . Then the Lord ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach. . . . Then the Lord spoke to Jonah a second time: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you.”

One of the worst mistakes anyone can make is running from God, which Jonah did; yet God pursued Jonah and gave him another chance.

Luke 1:18Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.”

God did not disqualify Zechariah just because he had doubts.

Psalm 103:12He [the Lord] has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.

1 John 1:9If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

When our mistakes are sinful or result in sin, we can confess them to God; he will forgive us completely.