In the Proverbs it says that the righteous fall seven times, but get back up, (24.16). They don’t stay down and they don’t run and hide. They just get back up again. When one errors, it is embarrassing. One not only feels guilt but also shame. As a Christian one holds to a standard of integrity and moral excellence above the status quo. The falling down reveals his humanity and sinful nature. To remain down is to continue in sin and guilt. It is to crucify once again the Lord Jesus Christ. The righteous don’t do that. They confess their sins and receive forgiveness and cleansing from sin.
Peter, who confessed Jesus as the Son of God, also denied Him three times. When the gravity of what he had done was revealed to him, he wept bitterly. I am sure he had wished he never would have done that, or even that he never had been born. He fell. He could have run away and hung himself, as Judas did, or he could get up and deal with his sin and be restored. Jesus restored Peter in an encounter he had with him on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus forgave him and gave him a ministry. But then he needed to go back and fit into the same group of disciples. I sure that was not easy, but he did do it and his ministry was one of the greatest of the apostles.
Some people deal with the shame of falling by running away from those they have disappointed. Others try to act as if nothing ever happened; expecting everyone to forgive and forget. In responding in these ways, the problem is destined to repeat itself. When one falls he must rise up through humility. He must stand again, where he fell, by the Grace of God. He must confront his weakness and those affected by his sin. The fear of the Lord is established and restoration is gained. To start again in another church, community or nation only delays the restoration process. It appears to be the easiest and less painful of the options, but does not have God’s desired result. The righteous get up and deal with it properly and go forward.
Even if our “falling” is just a “slip of the tongue”, it cannot be ignored. Unless our failures are corrected, they will set a pattern for future generations. Thomas, in his hurt over the Lord’s death, blurted out his doubts to all his colleagues who had testified to seeing the risen Lord. Jesus then appears and addresses Thomas’ lack of faith. He was careful to heal his broken heart and to calm his fears. Instead of casting Thomas out of the 12, He brought him even closer to Himself. Failure was turned to faith and Thomas rose from that pit of despair and unbelief to take the Gospel as far away as India.
If God can take the failures of Peter and Thomas and make them into successes, He can do it in your life as well. Remember, it is the devil who condemns. Jesus came to save and to give us an abundant life. He takes our weaknesses and makes them into our strengths. He restores what has been destroyed. We are not destined to be defeated and to live under the shame of our past. We are new creatures in Christ Jesus. So, if you have fallen, get back up again. Shake off the dirt, receive forgiveness and go forward.
Scriptures to meditate on:
Proverbs 24.16; John 21.15-17; I John 1.9; Acts 1.13-15; Romans 8:1; 2 Corinthians 5:17