In the 2021 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers traded three first-round picks and a third-rounder to move up nine spots to select quarterback, Trey Lance, with the third overall pick. Despite Lance having limited experience in college (only throwing 318 passes while at North Dakota State), the 49ers believed he was a special player worth trading a lot for. Unfortunately over the last few years, it hasn’t worked out for Lance in San Francisco. He’s had injuries and hasn’t developed quickly enough to be the kind of quarterback the 49ers need him to be. As a result, the 49ers have traded him to the Cowboys for a 2024 fourth-round pick. Tim Kawakami wrote about the situation in a recent article in The Athletic: “They took their massive write-off. They moved past the sunk cost. They owned up to the worst trade in franchise history. They absorbed the blame.” He added, “The mistake was moving all those draft picks to get to No. 3 when there was nobody worth it. The mistake was taking Lance ahead of Mac Jones. The mistake was getting stuck on drafting a QB. The mistake was … everything. But it would’ve been an even greater mistake for Shanahan and Lynch to stick with Lance just to try to justify a bad trade.” As bad as the initial decision was, good for the 49ers to realize it and go in a different direction. Most GMs who draft or sign the wrong player end up keeping him longer than they should because they aren’t willing to admit their first mistake. This inevitably leads to additional poor decisions because they're too stubborn and prideful to say they blew it and need to move on from the player. The 49ers, however, appear to have made the right decision (at least for now) by not committing to Lance any longer and compounding their mistakes. We can most likely relate to the principle of compounding mistakes when it comes to our sins leading to more sins if we don’t repent and move on. There are times when we’ve made the wrong decision, gone in a direction we shouldn’t have, and instead of admitting the mistake, made other poor choices. We might try to fix it before admitting it (compounding the severity), continue in the sin by justifying it, or try to cover up one sin by committing another one. Even as followers of Jesus, there will be times when we slip up and do something foolish. But instead of denying it or pridefully making excuses that end up leading to more sin, we must humbly repent and move on in grace. Proverbs 28:13 (NLT) gives us this challenge: “People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.” John the Baptist preaches in Matthew 3:8 (AMP), “So produce fruit that is consistent with repentance .” 1 John 1:9 (AMP) tells us, “If we admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just , and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness .” Sin can quickly compound if we don’t admit it...agree we need to change...and turn away from it. Thankfully, by embracing the grace and forgiveness Jesus gives us, He’ll help us live a life of repentance. I’m Bryce Johnson, and you can UNPACK that! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I pray You’d remove my pride and foolishness that lead me to sin. Teach me to be willing to admit my mistakes and experience the fruit of repentance. Please help me avoid making decisions that compound the sin. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR PACKS:
1. What has your experience been with sins that compound into more sins?
2. What holds you back from admitting that you've made a mistake?
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