Mistakes and Sin..."to a Christian, this can get confusing"...part 1

Alfred Adler, the renown Austrian psychotherapist in the late 1800's, once wrote: "It's easier to fight for one's principles...then to live up to them."

 I think what has gripped me the most since re-entering the Christian lifestyle in late 2007, is the "fear of failing" in following Christ....the fear of being creative, the fear of "doing it wrong", or the fear of not meeting a certain standard.
 Often I hear those who quickly defend their belief in Christ, and yet are equally quick to recognize what a mess their lives are...and by no means am I pointing a finger...I too am a "classmate of the many". lol

 We have all heard this phrase at one time or another: "...the fear of mistakes". When first reading this, you kind of take "mistakes" as the primary noun in the phrase...but it is not. "Fear" is the main subject...and fear has often entered the heart of man...through his mistakes.
 Often when we make a mistake, we go into a type of "knee-jerk" reaction and simply cover it up, then we find some sort of rationale as to how the mistake happened...until it finally fades away. What is not often realized is it allows a tension to grow within us...the sheer thought of having a "mistake" happen again...and the next time could result in some type of punishment that would follow. It becomes a terrifying thought to many...sometimes crippling people for their entire lives....including we as Christians, because we forget or choose to ignore the difference between a mistake...and sin.

 A couple of myths that I have come to deal with in regards to making mistakes are:
1) Perfection makes you better: It has been determined in numerous psychiatric arenas that when a person is obsessed on perfection, it actually creates an environment where a challenging task invites the fear of doing so. A person prone to perfection will choose fewer risks and diminish their ability for creativity.
2) Only recognizing those who "win an award", and giving no credit or recognition to all who participated, leaves many open to the fear of ever trying anything again...rationalizing I must be dumb...only the winner is smart. This is particularly true in educational type environments, and many of us are exposed to this sort of mentality at very young ages.

 I have come across "7 Reminders" on dealing with mistakes in my own life...and trust me...I have had many.
1) Mistakes actually help me to grow: Through my mistakes I have found I discover more about myself, "the good, the bad, and the ugly". I begin to see myself in a way that God had intended for me to be, where my own personal strengths and weaknesses lie, my capabilities, and what I can or..cannot do. When I take a little time and think through my mistakes, I have noticed I actually become more compassionate...and tolerant of others...because I have learned to be that way with...myself.
2) Mistakes are able to teach me valuable things about life. In fact, when I make that choice to look at my mistakes from a healthy view...not so critical or in a demeaning way, it empowers me to learn..with enjoyment.
3) Mistakes can actually become a great tool...in teaching us how to forgive. Why? Because when you have mastered the art of forgiving yourself in life, it becomes a whole lot easier to forgive those who make mistakes...around you.
4) Mistakes have an uncanny ability to either a) invite fear or b) free us from fear. I read that the biggest fear in many lives...is the fear of making mistakes. Mistakes are a part of our everyday life. I think it is best to embrace those mistakes...and learn from them. When this is done, it seems to me a "new door opens"...the one with the sign on it that says: "Welcome...to the joy of experiencing life".
5) Accepting mistakes in life allows you to live life not full of regrets. Another conclusion found in the psychiatric world is: "If you play it safe your entire life, you will have collected more regrets of things you never even tried, choosing to remain in that "safe little world"...whose foundation is built upon fear and lies".
 There is a quote that reads: "I would much rather have regrets about... doing what people told me not to try, than to have regrets of not trying what my heart led me to believe I could do...and simply wonder what my life would have been like...if I had just been myself".
6) Mistakes are simply a part of growing in life. When I learn something new...like playing baseball when I was a small child, I did not hit a home run...the first time I stepped to the plate,  I struck out. I had to practice....practice on my stance that wold give me the best advantage when swinging at the ball, I had to practice my timing when I would swing the bat, and I had to learn how to recognize a curve ball...a fast ball...a change up. And during this process, I continued to strike out...yet it became less frequent...until one day it actually happened...I hit a home run.
7) Mistakes can be like stepping stones...that filter out the impurities of what I am wanting to do. And as I do this, the dream as to what I am trying to do...becomes a little more of a reality each day. Instead of fear and condemnation yelling in my ear, I have other "friends who have joined me like Confidence...Courage...and Experience. Mistakes can be a bridge that actually brings the "Dream of the Heart"...to the "Reality of my own life."

 Thomas Edison once wrote: "I have failed...more than 10,000 times...until one day it actually happened...."the light bulb".

 Ok, saying all that...what about sin? Well, sin is a different story all together. Mistakes are normally something we don't choose to happen...they just do. Sin on the other hand...now that is a choice...a transgression...overstepping your bounds...and you know you are doing so. Yea, sin..this will definitely take a...part 2.