Fallen? Don’t Stay There
Beloved – We all will have times in our life when we will fall or fail or just plain mess up. There will be times when we just don’t meet THE standard where we will do all things correctly. Sometimes, it is the result of the decisions and choices we make and sometimes it is the result of our reaction to things that have been done to us. Sometimes it is naivete or ignorance of what is happening around us and other times deliberate actions on our part. Whatever way ‘the stumble’ comes your way, my message to you is – Don’t Stay There! Get up, get moving and seek the face of a merciful Lord that loves you beyond the marks life can leave on you when you sin.
You Linger Long…
Daniel 9:9 says:
“The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him”
God knew we were going to have times where sin was going to trip us up. God knew sin would also try to keep us entangled in guilt and shame in ways that will impact our ability to move forward and thrive in His grace and mercy.
My mother used to have a saying when I was growing up that stated, “You linger long, you linger wrong”. It was her way of saying – if you stay anywhere that just doesn’t feel right longer than you should it will become your reality but in a negative way. Interestingly she used to say this to me and my brother during our dating years to remind us that a bad relationship was a bad relationship and it is ok to get out of it. Lingering in the aftermath of sin in guilt, shame, unworthiness, regret, and fear is not a safe place to stay for long.
Yes, God gives us a conscience, so we should feel some regret when we do something we shouldn’t but – Don’t Stay There. There is life after the fall. Life to do better and be better. Life to be more sensitive to not do it again. Somehow, I think that was what my mother was trying to say me after the break-up – there is life after that bad relationship, but you have to break-up first to be free to live.
Life Awaits You
That is the promise of John 10:10 which says:
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
That is why Jesus Christ came to this world to die for our sins – to give us life. Not just life after our falls but, and this is the good part, life when we are in a ‘free fall’. Because if you really look at life, we are in a continuous fall every day because sin is so prevalent around us.
Jesus gives us life where ever we are in life. His number one goal is for you to have the best in life but not according to the world’s standards. Jesus wants life according to the biblical standards that let you live freely. No guilt, shame, hate or fear. A life filled with a peace that only He can give (Philippians 4:7). Accept Jesus into your life. Take His Hand and give all of yourself to a God that loves you and understands this thing called life. With Jesus, you won’t want to stay in that other place any longer.
