The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who listens to council is wise. Proverbs 12:15 (AMP)
When you look back on the past year, is there anything you would have done differently? Did you learn any hard lessons from misunderstandings or hurtful situations? If so, congratulations! You’re a wise person!
I’m not saying it’s good that you experienced pain but it’s good that you learned from that pain. If we’re never willing to improve how we handle problems and issues we fall into the “fool” category in today’s verse. The fool never learns from his mistakes because he won’t admit them. He’s too defensive. However, the wise person is willing to be confronted. They look at the mistakes of the past—just long enough to learn from them—in order to get better.
Sometimes we face situations that are completely out of our control. There is nothing we could have done to avoid them and the pain they brought into our lives. However, many times there’s something we can learn from the situation.
For example, if someone betrayed your confidence, ask yourself, “Did I share with this person prematurely?” Maybe you trust to quickly or feel like you need to share deep things with people in order to develop friendships. This doesn’t in any way excuse their behavior, but you can learn and grow through the pain.
Whatever the case, mistakes are just learning opportunities. None of us have arrived—and we never will. We are all on a lifelong journey to becoming more like Jesus.