The famous Japanese proverb “Fall down seven times, get up eight” is nearly identical to a verse in Proverbs 24:16 “for though a righteous man falls seven times, he will rise again…” Both of these are encouraging, but when things in life cause us to fall, we can lose the desire and/or the energy to get back up. Just ask a family mourning the loss of a loved one, a spouse facing the reality of divorce, an employee in jeopardy of losing his job, an adolescent struggling to regain her parents’ trust, or a person battling an addiction. Falling has a way of making us feel we somehow failed at life; and the pain associated with this can be so intense we lack the strength to pull ourselves back up.
We can find hope in Philippians 1:6 ~
“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus..”
Life Application~
This verse taken from Paul’s letter to the people of Philippi is not only inspiring, but it gives us insight as to how we are to get back up when we fall. First, Paul frees us from the need for perfection by reassuring us we are a work in progress. So when we fall, it’s ok to stay down for a bit. It’s ok to feel the sting of falling, but we are told with confidence this is NOT the end. It’s like Paul is saying, “Look, God brought you too far to quit now, so be patient and let Him help you up because he’s not finished with you yet!” Next, Paul gives us hope in knowing the “good work” God is doing in us and through us will one day be completed when Christ returns. We can be confident knowing that God uses every event and trial to mold us like clay closer into His image. Being a reflection of God’s love, joy, mercy, grace, peace and compassion gives us something to strive for and fuels our desire to rise again.
Prayer~
Heavenly Father, thank you for not giving up on me when I fall and for giving me the strength to rise again. Help me be more like You, and when I do fall, remind me to be patient because you are not finished with me yet. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
By: Angel Slawinski
