None of us likes making mistakes. And when we do, the last thing we feel like doing is owning up, dealing with the withering looks of blame from others. Better just to sweep things under the carpet or blame someone else!

In 1961, the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba was a disaster. US President John F. Kennedy had approved the plan to overthrow Fidel Castro but when it failed spectacularly, those around him pointed fingers at the CIA, the planners, and even the exiled Cubans. But JFK?

Well, at first, he hesitated. Had he taken full ownership from the beginning, trust in his leadership might’ve soared. Instead, the delay in admitting fault dented his credibility. When he did finally accept the blame, it helped repair his image—but by then, the damage had been done.

Look, it takes courage to accept responsibility for our mistakes – a courage that Adam and Eve clearly lacked when God held them to account for eating a piece of fruit from the one tree that He’d forbidden.

Genesis 3:12-13 The man said, “The woman you put here with me gave me fruit from that tree. So I ate it.” Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What have you done?” She said, “The snake tricked me, so I ate the fruit.”

Neither of them took ownership, and so sin entered the world. Have you ever wondered how things might have played out differently had they fessed up and asked God for His forgiveness? The mind boggles!

When you make a mistake, take responsibility instead of digging yourself into an even deeper hole. And ask God to forgive you.

That’s His Word. Fresh … for you … today.