Here’s a secret no one told me when I was a new believer: It’s ok to make mistakes and look foolish in your pursuit of God. You’re not going to do everything perfectly. It’s a ‘new relationship’ and there is grace for you to learn on the way.
“It’s ok to make mistakes and look foolish in your pursuit of God.”
It’s so easy for us as Christians to fear failure and judgment, but remember—we serve a good God. He knows our hearts, He’s not surprised by our future, and He loves us more than we could ever imagine.
That’s why God doesn’t expect us to rely on our own perfection; instead, because Jesus fulfilled the law on our behalf, He calls us to walk with Him in a daily relationship of grace. We’ll stumble through pride, the fear of being awkward, and the terror of failing (Proverbs 29:25). And He’ll pick us up and remind us: be bold and courageous. Put aside all that hinders you.
Ultimately, making mistakes isn’t the end of your story—it’s an integral part of learning how to rely on His strength rather than your own (2 Corinthians 12:9).
MOB: MOB PSYCHO 100
Mob is a small, introverted middle schooler with overpowered psychic abilities. He can tear apart skyscrapers, create barriers, and destroy worlds with just his mind. He’s the strongest psychic in the world.
So it’s a surprise to everyone when he chooses to join the Body Improvement Club. He sees them training one day after school and is immediately enamored. The group builds strength through weightlifting, hard work, and honest effort. And they all seem to grow from it. Mob wants to grow, too.
It’s not long before he starts training with them after school. But his body is weak. He faints on runs, struggles with basic weights, and gets mocked by others (including his mentor). But that doesn’t stop him. Mob doesn’t care about making mistakes or looking weak.
He truly values honest growth and humility over easy shortcuts and human approval. I think this is very true to our calling as Christians.
KING DAVID: 2 SAMUEL
Let’s look at King David and the story of transporting the Ark in 2 Samuel. After assuming control of all Israel, David sought to bring the Ark of the Covenant into the newly claimed city of Jerusalem.
The first time he tried, David made a monumental mistake by transporting the Ark on an oxcart—a shortcut copied from the Philistines—rather than having the Levites carry it with poles as God commanded (1 Chronicles 15:13). This oversight led to Uzzah’s death when he reached out to touch the sacred Ark (2 Samuel 6:7).
After this, it would’ve been easy for David to give up on the Ark entirely. But he didn’t. Instead, he humbled himself, sought the Lord, repented, and tried again 3 months later with reverence for God (2 Samuel 6:14, Psalm 37:23-24).
This second time, he followed God’s exact instructions for transporting the Ark and even danced before it with unrestrained joy. His wife Michal mocked him for looking unmanly, but he didn’t care. He valued honest growth, humility, and God over easy shortcuts or human approval (2 Samuel 6:16).
“Trust God enough to step forward, learn from your mistakes, and grow with Him.”
Three Things I Learned
1. It’s ok to look foolish
Pursuing God’s purpose will often look foolish to others, but living for Christ means valuing God’s approval above all else.
2 Samuel 6:16 — As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised (bazah) him in her heart.
Hebrew Toolkit: Bazah (בָּזָה, bah-ZAH) – Means to look down upon, hold in contempt, or view as worthless.
Insight from Anime: Others laugh when Mob collapses during bodyweight exercises. His mentor even questions why he prioritizes the club when he could use his powers to shortcut any danger. Mob doesn’t waste his time trying to correct the misunderstanding, nor does he try to prove why he’s pursuing it. Instead, he stays the course.
The Takeaway:
Stop letting the fear of looking foolish hold you back from doing what God called you to do. Trust your God to be with you, even through mistakes and criticism. Take a step of faith toward your assignment today. And don’t worry about what anyone else has to say in protest. They have their assignment from the Father, and you have yours.
2. It’s ok to make mistakes
“A part of learning to walk is stumbling along the way.” That said, there is a big difference between willful sin: deliberately choosing rebellion and pushing God away, and making mistakes in your honest, yet imperfect, pursuit of Him.
You will make genuine missteps in life: oversights, poor decisions, failures in judgment… But real spiritual maturity comes from taking responsibility when you slip, submitting to God’s standard, and adjusting your course.
2 Samuel 6:7 – And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error (shal), and he died there beside the ark of God.
Hebrew Toolkit: Shal (שַׁל, SHAHL) – An irreverent error, fault, or careless oversight. It refers to a mistake made by stepping across sacred boundaries, treating God’s holiness casually, or substituting human convenience for God’s instructions.
Insight from Anime: When Mob loses control of his emotions and causes destruction, he doesn’t make excuses. He takes responsibility for his actions, seeks forgiveness, and trains himself to process his emotions honestly.
The Takeaway:
If you’ve made a mistake in your walk, don’t give up or hide. David’s heart wasn’t in rebellion when he moved the Ark on an oxcart—he was well-meaning but careless. Good intentions didn't excuse breaking God's protocol, but when David saw his error, he repented, studied God's Word, and corrected his path (1 Chronicles 15:13). Confess your heart to the Father, learn the lesson He has for you, and walk forward with Him.
Side Note: Why did Uzzah die?
1 Chronicles 15:13 – Because you did not carry it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not seek Him according to the rule.
Under the Old Covenant, the cost of treating God’s holiness carelessly was physical death. Today, Jesus has died for us—taking the ultimate penalty of eternal death on our behalf (Romans 6:23). Missteps still bring earthly consequences, but because of the cross, those consequences no longer mean eternal separation from God.
This is God’s grace: Jesus paid our debt so that even in our mistakes, we are saved, forgiven, and invited to draw near to the throne of grace with confidence, not terror (Hebrews 4:16).
3. It’s ok to rest
Real confidence isn’t about being so perfect no one can doubt you. It’s about trusting, really trusting, that you serve a perfect God who desires to lead you in all He’s called you to.
Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust (batach) in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Hebrew Toolkit: Batach (בָּטַח, bah-TAKH) – Means to trust deeply, feel completely secure, and rely entirely on something solid. It describes placing your entire weight on someone rather than trusting in your own abilities.
Insight from Anime: Instead of trying to control everything or force his way into human approval, Mob rests in the steady, humble process of daily training. He puts his full weight into Body Improvement Club, trusting that consistent, honest labor will lead to long-term growth.
The Takeaway:
Trust can be scary, especially when we fall for the lie that our lives are entirely dependent on our own performance. It’s a heavy burden, and we were never meant to carry it on your own shoulders. God is the One who finishes what He starts in you (Philippians 1:6), and He is more than capable of guiding our lives when we rest in His strength.
Wake Up Call
God never called us to a life of comfortable spectatorship, nor did He ask us to be flawless or loved by man (Galatians 1:10).
Instead, He invites us to walk with Him and live boldly. David made mistakes and was mocked on more than one occasion, but he never stopped turning to the Lord. He humbled himself, fixed his heart on God’s grace, and moved forward.
Child of God, stop worrying about never making a mistake. The God of the Universe walks with you, and His will will be done. Step boldly into your battlefield, trust Christ with your growth, and confidently partner with Him to execute your calling.
Joshua 1:9 — Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Tavern Talk
Where in your life have you let the fear of looking foolish stop you from stepping into something God put on your heart?
How do you usually handle making mistakes—do you back away in shame and fear, or do you adjust your habits and keep walking with God?
What is one practical step you can take this week to practice honest, steady growth instead of looking for shortcuts?
May God Bless You and Keep You
Image via ‘Mob Psycho 100’ (Studio BONES)
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Appendix
HEBREW
Bazah – Hebrew (To hold in contempt): Viewing something as worthless, trivial, or beneath respect.
Linguistics: Bazah is used in the Old Testament to describe how people look down on God’s commands, spiritual gifts, or faithful servants.
Evolution: Rooted in ancient settings where items were weighed and discarded as useless, it developed into a word for deep emotional disdain and mockery.
Biblical Meaning & Modern Relevance: In 2 Samuel 6:16, Michal bazah David because his expressive praise looked undignified to her. Today, bazah represents the disapproval you will face from culture when you choose humility, obedience, and biblical devotion over fitting in with the crowd.
Shal – Hebrew (Error or fault): An act of negligence, careless oversight, irreverence, or stepping across a sacred boundary.
Linguistics: A Hebrew noun linked to taking improper liberties or acting with casual disregard toward God’s holiness.
Evolution: Originating from concepts of slipping or making a fatal oversight, it highlights the danger of replacing divine standards with human shortcuts.
Biblical Meaning & Modern Relevance: In 2 Samuel 6:7, Uzzah’s shal happened because Israel moved the Ark on an oxcart instead of carrying it as God commanded (1 Chronicles 15:13). It reminds us that mistakes happen when we substitute convenience for God’s Word, but God uses these moments to teach us humility and true reverence.
Batach – Hebrew (To trust completely): To place your full reliance on a solid foundation, standing confident in its strength.
Linguistics: Batach paints the picture of laying flat on a secure surface, confident that it will hold your weight completely.
Evolution: Used in military and everyday contexts across ancient Israel, it contrasted relying on fragile human power versus resting in the unshakeable strength of God.
Biblical Meaning & Modern Relevance: In Proverbs 3:5, batach calls us to place our full security in God rather than our own understanding. For young men today, it means stepping out boldly into your calling, knowing that God’s strength holds you even when you stumble.
