There are a few things in this world I really hate.

I hate exercise. Sorry, but I do. I know it’s good for me. I try to do it—kind of. But I still hate it.

I hate eating “healthy.” Yep, that explains a lot of my weight issues, I’m sure. I’ve always had an aversion to greens. Again, I make myself eat them, but that doesn’t mean I have to like them.

And I hate making mistakes.

I have been working as a professional writer and editor for the past twenty-plus years. And yet, it never fails, that as soon as I post or print something, I will find an error.

For example, a reader recently pointed out that I used the word “glutton” when I meant “gluten.” At least they were both food related!

Occasionally, the mistake is a result of ignorance. Sometimes, it’s a result of being in a hurry or being tired, but most often, it’s caused by familiarity blindness. When I read the same thing several times over and over, I will simply not see the error. It’s as if my brain compensates for it, and it disappears from my sight.

I think this happens to us in life as well. We know ourselves better than anyone, so much so that we sometimes fail to see the error of our ways. We fail to notice when we are making a stupid decision. We don’t recognize that our words are actually hurtful. We look right over that little problem we have with anger.

I hate, hate, hate when I post or print something that has a mistake. When I post, I can at least go back and fix it without too much effort. But when I print something, it’s done. It’s out there. It’s much harder to correct. It’s the same with our actions.

When we ask for forgiveness of our sins, God always forgives. In fact, our sins are separated from us “as far as the east is from the west.” (Psalm 103:12) But since our sins also affect other humans, the consequences are not always easy to clear away. Sometimes, when we finally recognize what we did wrong, we are able to fix things rather quickly. Other times, the damage has been done, and rectifying the situation can be a lot more complicated. The power of an apology is like white-out; it can only go so far.

This is why a second set of eyes is so important. If possible, I should always have someone else proofread my work. Their “fresh” eyes will often see the mistakes that mine so easily overlook. For Christians, God has given us the Holy Spirit for this very reason. As part of the trinity of God, the Holy Spirit will always see our mistakes and sins clearly.

If we aren’t careful, however, our spiritual blindness can begin to quench the Holy Spirit. Basically, we can ignore Him to the point that we no longer hear His conviction. For Christians, this is a dangerous place to be.

So, what’s the solution? As a writer and a Christian, it’s important for me to do a few things.

I must be intentional. I must try not to make mistakes. In order to do that, I have to obviously know the “rules.” In the case of writing, this means knowing proper grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc. As a Christian, this means reminding myself frequently of what sin is—not what I think sin is but what God says sin is. This means studying God’s word for myself (not just listening to a preacher/teacher talk about it).
I must be cautious about my writing, particularly when I am tired or in a hurry. As a Christian, I need to be aware of my areas of weakness, areas where I am more likely to give in to temptation. For example, I am prone to get angry and impatient when I am in a hurry or stressed. Knowing that, I should be more cautious of how I act and react in those situations.
I sometimes need to just step away for a while and take a break, refresh my eyes so that I can see the mistakes I have made. In my spiritual life, I need to spend time quietly seeking God’s voice. I need to ask God, “In what areas am I failing you? Where have I messed up?” I can’t trust myself to answer these questions. I have to let God answer them for me.
There are also times, both professionally and personally, when I may need to seek counsel from a Godly friend or mentor. Another set of eyes never hurts.

I hate mistakes, but, unfortunately, I still make them. I’m afraid that’s just part of being human. No matter how hard I try, I will still mess up. How silly would it be if, when I find a mistake or one is pointed out to me, I argue about it or ignore it or claim it isn’t there. Obviously, the best solution is to correct it. Our God is a God of second (and third and fourth and fifth…) chances. When He makes us aware of our faults and failures, let’s not argue, ignore, or disagree. 1 John 1:9 tells us, “if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” Praise the Lord, that’s the kind of proofer I need.