Own It
By J.B. Hixson, Ph.D.
11/07/2021
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man saws, that he will also reap. (Galatians 6:7)
When I was in the seventh grade, I had an English teacher named Mrs. Lewis. She was my favorite teacher. (And I like to think I was her favorite student!) One of the many memories I have from her class involves an exam that she gave and a disappointing grade I received. I remember it like it was yesterday.
Mrs. Lewis returned the papers, and when I looked at my exam, I noticed I had made a B+. I had been expecting an A. As she went over each question with the entire class, I discovered one question which I had misread. The instructions had asked for us to circle “all answers that apply,” and instead I had circled only one correct answer. The resulting mark down meant the difference between making an A and a B+.
After class, I approached Mrs. Lewis and explained to her that I had misread the instructions. “Had I understood the instructions, I certainly would have answered the question correctly,” I insisted. I pointed out that on all her previous tests, the multiple-choice questions only called for one correct choice. I was confused and misled, I contended, by this departure from her normal way of wording the questions. “I should be given a chance to retake the exam,” I demanded.
For a 12-year-old, I was pretty good at making my case. I argued that an exam is intended to demonstrate what a student knows, not simply how well he can follow directions. “You should change my grade,” I reasoned, “so that it reflects what I know and what I would have circled on the exam if only I had not been so confused by the wording of the question.”
My arguments were lost on Mrs. Lewis, and she denied my request. My grade of B+ was not changed. She looked me square in the eye and said, “Next time, J.B., read the instructions more carefully.” I learned something that day about accepting responsibility. The fact of the matter was it was my mistake. I should not have blamed it on anyone else.
One of the fundamental principles of life is this: You reap what you sow. There is a direct connection between one’s actions and the resulting consequence. This principle has proven true time after time after time. It is true with the big things in life, and it is true with the little things in life. You simply cannot escape the principle of consequence.
Whatever happened to standing up, taking responsibility, and saying, “I made a mistake, and I am prepared to accept the consequences?” In our culture, we have become very good at shirking accountability and blaming others for the consequences that result from our own mistakes. The Apostle Paul reminds us, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7).
The consequences of life's choices usually make us stronger. We learn from our mistakes. The next time you make a costly mistake, own it! You will reap wisdom from what you sow. “The ear that hears the rebukes of life will abide among the wise” (Proverbs 15:31).
11/07/2021
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man saws, that he will also reap. (Galatians 6:7)
When I was in the seventh grade, I had an English teacher named Mrs. Lewis. She was my favorite teacher. (And I like to think I was her favorite student!) One of the many memories I have from her class involves an exam that she gave and a disappointing grade I received. I remember it like it was yesterday.
Mrs. Lewis returned the papers, and when I looked at my exam, I noticed I had made a B+. I had been expecting an A. As she went over each question with the entire class, I discovered one question which I had misread. The instructions had asked for us to circle “all answers that apply,” and instead I had circled only one correct answer. The resulting mark down meant the difference between making an A and a B+.
After class, I approached Mrs. Lewis and explained to her that I had misread the instructions. “Had I understood the instructions, I certainly would have answered the question correctly,” I insisted. I pointed out that on all her previous tests, the multiple-choice questions only called for one correct choice. I was confused and misled, I contended, by this departure from her normal way of wording the questions. “I should be given a chance to retake the exam,” I demanded.
For a 12-year-old, I was pretty good at making my case. I argued that an exam is intended to demonstrate what a student knows, not simply how well he can follow directions. “You should change my grade,” I reasoned, “so that it reflects what I know and what I would have circled on the exam if only I had not been so confused by the wording of the question.”
My arguments were lost on Mrs. Lewis, and she denied my request. My grade of B+ was not changed. She looked me square in the eye and said, “Next time, J.B., read the instructions more carefully.” I learned something that day about accepting responsibility. The fact of the matter was it was my mistake. I should not have blamed it on anyone else.
One of the fundamental principles of life is this: You reap what you sow. There is a direct connection between one’s actions and the resulting consequence. This principle has proven true time after time after time. It is true with the big things in life, and it is true with the little things in life. You simply cannot escape the principle of consequence.
Whatever happened to standing up, taking responsibility, and saying, “I made a mistake, and I am prepared to accept the consequences?” In our culture, we have become very good at shirking accountability and blaming others for the consequences that result from our own mistakes. The Apostle Paul reminds us, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7).
The consequences of life's choices usually make us stronger. We learn from our mistakes. The next time you make a costly mistake, own it! You will reap wisdom from what you sow. “The ear that hears the rebukes of life will abide among the wise” (Proverbs 15:31).
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