“…but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31, ESV)
After falling on my new ice skates when a young boy, my best friend said, “Try again. Get up and watch your balance.” I got up, skated halfway around the rink and fell… hard. As I lay on my back feeling the pain of hitting hard ice, I watched my friend skate over to me. He said, “You can do this. You can learn this. Get up, and let’s go!” Not long after, I skated a full circle on the rink. Then, I skated two. Within a few days of trying, I had it down. I could skate without falling too much. I was amazed at those who could skate backward, who could jump, who could race, but at least I could skate. It was an amazing feeling on skates. You moved so quickly over the ice. It was exhilarating! I never would have felt the joy of skating if my friend had not been there to encourage me, to goad me, to push me to get up after falling.
Falling while skating hurts. It can give you bruises and sore joints. Spiritually falling to sin may not cause bruising, but it will hurt. Sinning always comes back to bite you. It always brings some kind of pain. Some sins lull you into believing that they carry no consequences. It’s not true. There are always consequences when you go against the will of God.
Among the young girls in the youth group was a girl named Marsha. She was quiet and shy. She was withdrawn. Not being particularly good looking, you could see she felt uncomfortable around the pretty girls and handsome boys. She tended to put herself around the fringes of the group. During one youth group meeting, Marcia was called upon to read a scripture to the group. Being a good reader, Marcia read the scripture with real passion. The group was so impressed, she was asked to read a scripture during a special youth service two weeks before Christmas. At first, Marcia declined. Then, the group goaded her into doing it using flattery and peer pressure. Several of the other youth absolutely did not want to do the reading!
During the youth service, different members of the group each had parts. Some were ushers. Some led the music portion. One lead the congregation in a prayer. Then, it was Marcia’s turn. She got up to the lectern to read her scripture. After looking out at all the people gathered, she immediately broke into a sweat. She messed up the reading, missing an entire sentence and stuttering through several words. After the service ended, Marcia left the church with an embarrassed blush on her cheeks. Feeling so self-conscious at her mistakes, she did not return to her church for ten years!
Everyone fails. Everyone makes mistakes. Nobody but Jesus is perfect. Still, some people have this feeling that they can’t participate in worship unless they are right with God. Others won’t become a Sunday School teacher because they are afraid to not have an answer when a child asks a question. I’ve met people who thought only the most devout should be church leaders. I have known those who wouldn’t even come to church because they felt they had failed God one too many times. A church building isn’t a place for perfect people! It is not a place to show off your spiritual prowess or perfection. Worship is a place for people to connect with God, not a stage to show off one’s piety. The church is a place where people go to renew their commitment to God, reorganize their priorities, and continually re-connect with God. It’s a place to repent, start over, and make things right.
“Thomas Edison's manufacturing facilities in West Orange, N.J., were heavily damaged by fire one night in December 1914. Edison lost almost $1 million worth of equipment and the record of much of his work. The next morning, walking about the charred embers of his hopes and dreams, the 67-year-old inventor said: "There is value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Now we can start anew."” (
Alan Loy McGinnis, The Power of Optimism.)
Every now and then, you will have to start anew, start over, pick yourself up from a spiritual fall, dust off the old ways, or make things right. Faithful people can help you do that. The friend who constantly encouraged me to get up and skate again helped me to learn a wonderful ability. The spiritual friend who keeps you accountable can bring you to a better relationship with God. The person who gives you encouragement can help you reclaim self-respect or confidence. It is important when you start anew to surround yourself with encouragers. It is also crucial that when you need to recover from a spiritual fall that you get back up, dust yourself off, and make right with God. Someday, you will look back with joy at your abilities learned through spiritual determination.
When Isaiah wrote chapter 40 of his book, Israel and Judah had just been through very dark times. War had befallen the people of God. Their sin caused the downfall. Beginning with chapter 40, Isaiah relayed that God wanted a new start with the people of Israel. They needed to “wait upon the Lord”. They needed to “renew their strength” in the Lord. If they followed Isaiah’s encouragement, God would help them to “run and not be weary”, “walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). Failures, sins, and past mistakes had cost Israel dearly. God wanted them to start over. God was willing to renew their spiritual strength and rebuild their lives if only they came back to true faith.
When you falter and fail, when life knocks you down, when you go through suffering or loss, God will always want you to get back up and make things right. Don’t let a wrong attitude keep you down. Don’t let depression suck the joy out of your day. Don’t let sin keep you from following God’s way. Get yourself back on the right path. Learn from your mistakes. Listen anew for God’s voice. There will be a rainbow at the end of the storm (Genesis 9:13). God keeps His promises! God will be encouraging you… if you but listen for His voice, get back up, and learn from your mistakes.
Does God mean enough to you to dust yourself off and get back out there each time you fail?
Falling while skating hurts. It can give you bruises and sore joints. Spiritually falling to sin may not cause bruising, but it will hurt. Sinning always comes back to bite you. It always brings some kind of pain. Some sins lull you into believing that they carry no consequences. It’s not true. There are always consequences when you go against the will of God.
Among the young girls in the youth group was a girl named Marsha. She was quiet and shy. She was withdrawn. Not being particularly good looking, you could see she felt uncomfortable around the pretty girls and handsome boys. She tended to put herself around the fringes of the group. During one youth group meeting, Marcia was called upon to read a scripture to the group. Being a good reader, Marcia read the scripture with real passion. The group was so impressed, she was asked to read a scripture during a special youth service two weeks before Christmas. At first, Marcia declined. Then, the group goaded her into doing it using flattery and peer pressure. Several of the other youth absolutely did not want to do the reading!
During the youth service, different members of the group each had parts. Some were ushers. Some led the music portion. One lead the congregation in a prayer. Then, it was Marcia’s turn. She got up to the lectern to read her scripture. After looking out at all the people gathered, she immediately broke into a sweat. She messed up the reading, missing an entire sentence and stuttering through several words. After the service ended, Marcia left the church with an embarrassed blush on her cheeks. Feeling so self-conscious at her mistakes, she did not return to her church for ten years!
Everyone fails. Everyone makes mistakes. Nobody but Jesus is perfect. Still, some people have this feeling that they can’t participate in worship unless they are right with God. Others won’t become a Sunday School teacher because they are afraid to not have an answer when a child asks a question. I’ve met people who thought only the most devout should be church leaders. I have known those who wouldn’t even come to church because they felt they had failed God one too many times. A church building isn’t a place for perfect people! It is not a place to show off your spiritual prowess or perfection. Worship is a place for people to connect with God, not a stage to show off one’s piety. The church is a place where people go to renew their commitment to God, reorganize their priorities, and continually re-connect with God. It’s a place to repent, start over, and make things right.
“Thomas Edison's manufacturing facilities in West Orange, N.J., were heavily damaged by fire one night in December 1914. Edison lost almost $1 million worth of equipment and the record of much of his work. The next morning, walking about the charred embers of his hopes and dreams, the 67-year-old inventor said: "There is value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Now we can start anew."” (
Alan Loy McGinnis, The Power of Optimism.)
Every now and then, you will have to start anew, start over, pick yourself up from a spiritual fall, dust off the old ways, or make things right. Faithful people can help you do that. The friend who constantly encouraged me to get up and skate again helped me to learn a wonderful ability. The spiritual friend who keeps you accountable can bring you to a better relationship with God. The person who gives you encouragement can help you reclaim self-respect or confidence. It is important when you start anew to surround yourself with encouragers. It is also crucial that when you need to recover from a spiritual fall that you get back up, dust yourself off, and make right with God. Someday, you will look back with joy at your abilities learned through spiritual determination.
When Isaiah wrote chapter 40 of his book, Israel and Judah had just been through very dark times. War had befallen the people of God. Their sin caused the downfall. Beginning with chapter 40, Isaiah relayed that God wanted a new start with the people of Israel. They needed to “wait upon the Lord”. They needed to “renew their strength” in the Lord. If they followed Isaiah’s encouragement, God would help them to “run and not be weary”, “walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). Failures, sins, and past mistakes had cost Israel dearly. God wanted them to start over. God was willing to renew their spiritual strength and rebuild their lives if only they came back to true faith.
When you falter and fail, when life knocks you down, when you go through suffering or loss, God will always want you to get back up and make things right. Don’t let a wrong attitude keep you down. Don’t let depression suck the joy out of your day. Don’t let sin keep you from following God’s way. Get yourself back on the right path. Learn from your mistakes. Listen anew for God’s voice. There will be a rainbow at the end of the storm (Genesis 9:13). God keeps His promises! God will be encouraging you… if you but listen for His voice, get back up, and learn from your mistakes.
Does God mean enough to you to dust yourself off and get back out there each time you fail?