“If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.” – James 4:17

There are two types of sin: sins of commission and sins of omission. Most of us are familiar with sins of commission—behavioral missteps like lying, deceiving, lust, greed, sloth, and gluttony.

But sins of omission are just as dangerous. These are the moments when we know what is good and right but choose not to act. When we stay silent as a friend is bullied, when we ignore a co-worker being belittled, or when we pass by someone in need without stopping—we sin by omission.

A common reason we give for our inaction is:
“I’m afraid of making a mistake.”

Let’s address that fear directly:
You will make a mistake.
It’s inevitable—but it’s also essential to the process of growth and formation.

Mistakes aren’t the enemy. In fact, they are part of how we learn to love better, lead better, live better. What we must avoid are mistakes that cause irreparable harm—and more often than not, it is inaction, not imperfect action, that causes the most damage.

“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.” — Elbert Hubbard

So today, ask yourself honestly:
Is your fear of making a mistake causing you to sin through omission?