Minimizing the Damage After a Mistake
Because living a Christian life is not just about minimizing all the damage, it is also about avoiding a lot of damage.
Minimizing the Damage
Play the original Excel Still More episode here without leaving the article.
The principle
We've had something like 120 episodes since January of 2019, all of which are designed to help us just do a little bit better, create better situations, improve relationships, you know, the whole intro jingle. And so I would say I don't think God wants your life to be filled with damage, and then you just listen to an episode and figure out how to handle it.
A lot of being a Christian and learning and growing is living a life that minimizes the occurrence of problems.
The deeper lesson
I don't think there was any profanity involved, but there was a lot of loud, angry words. He slams his club into the ground, he pounds the side of the golf bag with it, he marches angrily up to the water hazard, drops another ball, and very quickly pops it into the water again.
More anger, more tirade, drops the ball, knocks it over the water, nearly over the entire green, marches around to the green, slams his bag down, walks to the back of the hole, barely even reads the putt, and pounds it about halfway.
What it changes
Not just control your emotions, but take some time to process your next move. Maybe you find out about a serious health issue and you or in your family and you're upset and you're broken and it's damaged and it may not be fully repairable and you're just so upset.
But acting it out in that moment without thinking about what it means to God or to the people around you or for your future can lead to things that you may regret for the rest of your life.
Live it today
He stopped grunting, he walked up to the water, he pulled out another ball, he stepped back to a good distance, that's a legal move, and he dropped the ball on nice flat ground, measured up the shot, hit it onto the green, putted that one close, and tapped in for an eight. Sadly, that eight meant that he dropped from a lock for second place down to fourth place.
I hated that it went so badly at the end again, and I would have loved to tell you some story about how he birdied the last hole and won first place, but you know, that's not the way it always goes in life, is it?
Take the idea with you.
- 01Where do I see the problem or opportunity described in “Minimizing the Damage After a Mistake” in my own life?
- 02What Scripture or spiritual principle in this study most needs my attention?
- 03What one specific change can I make this week to put this teaching into practice?
Prefer listening?
The original episode player is available near the top of this article, so you can listen without leaving the page.