There is a decided moment in ever situation where we as Christians have stumbled and fallen that we must choose to get back up. Time and time again we have been told that it is this step that is the most important in our rising again from the ashes of defeat. As important as this is, it is by no means the acme of our decisions. There is a choice that must be made in what direction we will fall.
Sound strange? The fact is that the direction we fall in will be the direction we rise in. If we chose to fall backward – farther from God – we will get up with less strength than when we began our decent. However, if we see we have sinned and understand that we have erred in the right way, we can choose to fall forward. Rising up with a renewed desire to server God.
However, this falling forward is more challenging than merely laying down face first. We must acknowledge that we have sinned and chosen our own way. We must then repent of our failure, striving from this moment on to never fall prey to this devouring lion again. We must also recognize the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It is in his glorious death and resurrection we find this space of forgiveness and acceptance before the throne of grace. Once this is done, it is up to us wether we will fall on our face before God in humility or fall towards the life we once lived – who's god was our bellies and end was destruction.
In our rising we must be determined that we will "press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 3:14) If we do fall, we must look to Christ, as Peter did as he sunk in the depths of the sea. The Bible records that when he began to sink he immediately "he cried, saying, Lord, save me." (Mat. 14:30). Peter knew the necessity of going before the Lord. In life we cannot grab hold of the things that used to support us; we must reach for Christ and grab hold of his hand – trusting in this promise, "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you." (James 4:8) |
