Key Verse: Psalm 51:1-2
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin
We have all been there. A moment on the ice (or off) which we would love to have back. The moment we we know we have done something wrong. Sometimes, the act is thought out and pre meditated, and other times it simply happens in the spur of the moment. Either way, when all is said and done, we wonder to ourselves, "Why did I just do that????"
Some examples of moments hockey players would like to have back:
- Throwing a stick at the referree
- Purposefully trying to hurt an opponent
- Talking bad about a teammate behind their back
- Using inappropriate language to make others feel bad
- Disobeying a coach
- Taking a selfish penalty
- Yelling at a teammate for missing a pass, making a bad pass, or anything else
After moments like some of these, we usually can do one of two things.
1. Ignore: We try to ignore what happened and live under the weight of guilt and shame
There are many problems with ignoring when we slip up. When we ignore mistakes:
- We don't let others know that we feel we have made a mistake. What ends up happening is your teammates or those around you end up thinking you are purposefully being a jerk. It gives the impression you don't really care about your teammates or your actions.
- We don't rid ourselves of the guilt and shame that comes along after mistakes happen. The guilt and shame end up sitting inside of us, like a weight we constantly have to drag around. This is not a great way to be a dynamic hockey player or person. And quite frankly, this gets really exhausting.
- We open the door of acceptance. By this we simply mean that it becomes easier to fall into bad habits. If we don't take the time to stop and reflect on our actions as being wrong, we risk waking up 3 months from now with the thought that our mistakes "aren't so bad".
2. Confess: We confess what we have done wrong, apologize, and try our best to avoid future slip ups
This is our second option. Confession is a fancy way of saying, "I made a mistake and I am sorry for what I have done". If you read our passage from Psalm 51, you can see that even David (a man after God's own heart) had to confess his mistakes. No one is perfect. We all make mistakes. Telling God and those we have sinned against our confession is something we all should do. Why is this a better option? Well, let's look at some reasons below:
- It helps us remember what Christ did for us. Christ died on the cross for ALL our sins. When we tell him we have fallen short at the rink, we acknowledge His work on the cross for us and realigns our life with where God wants us to be
- It leads to healing. When we admit our mistakes and apologize for them, we are free to move on. We get rid of the heavy burden of carrying the guilt around. It reminds us we are already forgiven for that mistake.
- It shows those around us we take our mistakes seriously and want to work hard to not make them again in the future. It leads us to repentance, which means that we work to "turn around" in the opposite direction of where we are going. Confessing our mistakes is like putting closure on the matter. It's like having the Zamboni come and resurface the ice. You have a Clean sheet to play on.
Don't get caught up in your "UH OH" moments. We all have them. What you do after those moments makes all the difference. Recognize them, say sorry for them, and seek to turn direction by confessing what you have done before God.
Closing Questions
- What is an area in your life you need to confess?
- Is there somebody on your team or in your life you need to apologize to?
- Who do you ultimately need to confess to?
