One of Jesus’ objectives was to prepare and equip his disciples to lead when He was gone. The 12 men who formed the inner core around Jesus were far from perfect and frequently made mistakes. What lessons can we learn from Jesus when dealing with errors made by people we lead? Read Matthew 17:14-10 and John 21:15-19 as they provide great examples of how Jesus corrected and then re-commissioned His disciples to effectiveness.
What do we learn from Jesus when handling the mistakes others make? Here are some ideas to think about:
- It starts with understanding our intent when correcting the mistakes of others. Jesus’ intent with the disciples was to produce followers who would lead effectively when He was gone. When correcting his disciples his concern and focus was centered on their personal growth and development.
- Jesus acknowledged that the disciples made a mistake. He also addressed the root cause of the failure when He said, “Because of your little faith” (Matthew 17:20). The conversation with a person who has made a mistake is a difficult because it is painful for all parties involved. No one likes to hear they messed up. However, leaders and managers are not doing the people we lead any favors by glossing over a mistake made by those we lead. The writer of Hebrews provides a great word of wisdom, “No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the fruit of peace and righteousness to those who have been trained by it" (Heb. 2:11, HCSB).
- Jesus identified the proper actions that they should have used in the situation. In Matthew 17:21, Jesus was clear on how to handle this specific situation and in similar situations in the future. For a leader, it is not enough to point out that a mistake was made, but he must also show what should have been done. Patricia Wallington offers this advice, “Take the opportunity to coach. Help your people discover what they might have done differently to produce the desired outcome. Be a sounding board and offer assistance. Help restore the confidence levels.”
- Re-commission: In John 21:15-19 we read a beautiful passage of redemption. Peter is living in the guilt of denying Jesus and has returned to his old trade, fishing. In these well-known passages, Jesus is re-commissioning Peter and the disciples. Peter’s mistake did not end his future usefulness to the Kingdom.
The people you lead will wonder if mistakes are career killers. They’ll ask themselves if it’s safe to be honest with their mistakes, or if they need to cover them up. How you respond to individual’s mistakes will answer those questions.
Written by Jay Vineyard
