When we’ve made a mistake in our lives, we can be quick to blame others. But often we’ve had a choice. And we need to take responsibility for that. So when we get to a place of realising that we’ve made mistakes, there’s three things we need to do. First, we need to refuse. Refuse to stay in that place, wallowing in self-pity and complaining that others have led us to where we are. Then we need to take responsibility. We can’t live our lives blaming others for our mistakes. We have to learn to admit where we’re going wrong. Finally, we need to rise up from the place we’ve found ourselves in. Excuses, blame, guilt and shame keep us down and trapped. We need to rise, accept God’s forgiveness and move on. When Ezra heard about the sins of the Israelites, he fell to his knees and said: ‘My dear God, I’m so totally ashamed, I can’t bear to face you’ (Ezra 9:6 MSG). He then wept, prayed and confessed the sins to God. But the people made a plan, they decided to make a covenant with God to promise that they would sort out the mess they had got in to. They told Ezra: ‘Arise, for it is your task, and we are with you; be strong and do it’ (Ezra 10:4 ESV). If Ezra had stayed in that place of shame, he couldn’t have brought justice and morality back to the people. And we can’t do what God’s calling us to do unless we refuse to get up from the place we’re in. So let’s rise up and move into what God’s calling us to do today.

What Now?

Sit or lie down and confess any place where you’ve been going wrong, then stand up and thank God for His forgiveness as a sign that you’re ready to rise up and move on.