Have you ever seen a child learning to walk? Falling down is an important part of the process. Getting back up again is crucial to developing the child’s balance and muscles. Every horse rider will face a fall, usually when they least expect it, but they know it’s important to get back on the horse, readjust what they’re doing, and try again. It’s a learning experience. A boxer isn’t disqualified because they get knocked down; they’re disqualified because they don’t get back up. Even the most skilful boxers know they’ll go down at some point, so they learn the art of falling safely and getting up quickly. Children, riders, and boxers all learn this: it’s all about getting up again.

The Bible tells us that falling happens to righteous people and unrighteous people. Believers aren’t immune from falling. It’s getting up again that sets them apart: ‘Even If good people fall seven times, they will get back up. But when trouble strikes the wicked, that’s the end of them’ (v.16 CEV). Unrighteous people stay down, but righteous people get up again. In Scripture, some of God’s greatest servants fell into personal failure. Abram lied to Pharaoh about his wife, Sarai (see Genesis 12:11-17). Jacob deceived his father and stole his brother’s birthright (see Genesis 27:17-29). In anger, Moses disobeyed God by striking the rock (see Numbers 20:7-12).

But instead of being disqualified, they ‘were all commended for their faith’ (Hebrews 11:39 NIV), because they acknowledged their sins and received God’s forgiveness. In other words, they fell, but they got up again. And when we fall, we can get up again too. That’s the ‘faith’ part of our journey. Staying down is failure accepted – getting back up is faith activated.

What Now

Ask God to help you see falls, failures and setbacks as opportunities as part of the whole learning process – a step on the journey rather than the end of it.