What made me thoughtful...
We Fall Down
I noticed something. It seems many people around me are waiting for me to fall, to screw up, and to do wrong, to sin. See, I am doing my best to live the life God prepared for me and because of my decision to follow him, I have attracted a fan club of sorts. They watch me closely, know where I am and hang on to my every word. Isn’t that nice? Except, I didn’t ask for this fan club but there they were, waiting for me to fall.
So how did I get my very own fan club? Very simple, I confessed Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I confessed my sins and actively pursue God’s will in all that I do. The fan club developed, surrounded me, waiting for me to fall. The Bible says a fall is when “one sins against God”. Well, I have a secret for my fan club out there and anyone else that might be wondering. Want to know what it is? I, Luci, am going to fall. Knowing me, I will fall hard and tumble to an even lower place then when I first crashed. I am going to scrape my knee, cut my cheek, burn my skin and break some bones.
My fall means I will probably curse. My fall means I will become selfish and focus only on me. My fall means I will boast freely about what I did to get there, to hide my shame. My fall means I will forget God in my anger and say what I want. My fall means that the person in *that* outfit will be talked about. My fall means I am going to lie when I get cornered. My fall in short means I WILL SIN.
Fan club, that isn’t the big secret. There is a bigger secret out there, bigger than you and me. The secret is to be spread far and wide. And the secret, just like the first one was revealed by God. It is not HOW you fall that is the big secret, but what you do WHEN you fall. Are you like Peter? Falling several times but each time, he got back up and made his peace with God and continued following God.
Matthew 26:31-75 (the night of Jesus’ death)
31Then Jesus told them, "This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:
" 'I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'[c] 32But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."
33Peter replied, "Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will."
34"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times."
35But Peter declared, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the other disciples said the same….
69Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. "You also were with Jesus of Galilee," she said.
70But he denied it before them all. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said.
71Then he went out to the gateway, where another girl saw him and said to the people there, "This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth."
72He denied it again, with an oath: "I don't know the man!"
73After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, "Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away."
74Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, "I don't know the man!"
Immediately a rooster crowed. 75Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: "Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly….
John 21:15-19 (After Jesus returns from death)
15When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
16Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"
He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."
17The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."
18Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." 19Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God.
Or are you like Judas of Iscariot? When he discovered his sin, he despaired, hid and killed himself, never seeking God’s forgiveness.
Matthew 27:1-5 (Judas realizes his betrayal)
3When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned; he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. 4"I have sinned," he said, "for I have betrayed innocent blood."
"What is that to us?" they replied. "That's your responsibility."
5So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
They both fell, but reading each of their stories reveals how very differently they handled their fall. God wants us to handle our falls by requesting his forgiveness through confession and continue to keep shining the light of Him from within through our actions. This week, I want you to take time to meditate on his Word concerning falling. Proverbs 24:16 says “for though a righteous man falls seven times, he will rise again.” Search your life for the skinned knees and see if you have truly taken steps to make it right between you and God. Forget the fan club that comes from our confession of sin and decision to follow God. Because we know and trust God, He will work a miraculous change in their lives as we continue to follow God.
I noticed something. It seems many people around me are waiting for me to fall, to screw up, and to do wrong, to sin. See, I am doing my best to live the life God prepared for me and because of my decision to follow him, I have attracted a fan club of sorts. They watch me closely, know where I am and hang on to my every word. Isn’t that nice? Except, I didn’t ask for this fan club but there they were, waiting for me to fall.
So how did I get my very own fan club? Very simple, I confessed Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I confessed my sins and actively pursue God’s will in all that I do. The fan club developed, surrounded me, waiting for me to fall. The Bible says a fall is when “one sins against God”. Well, I have a secret for my fan club out there and anyone else that might be wondering. Want to know what it is? I, Luci, am going to fall. Knowing me, I will fall hard and tumble to an even lower place then when I first crashed. I am going to scrape my knee, cut my cheek, burn my skin and break some bones.
My fall means I will probably curse. My fall means I will become selfish and focus only on me. My fall means I will boast freely about what I did to get there, to hide my shame. My fall means I will forget God in my anger and say what I want. My fall means that the person in *that* outfit will be talked about. My fall means I am going to lie when I get cornered. My fall in short means I WILL SIN.
Fan club, that isn’t the big secret. There is a bigger secret out there, bigger than you and me. The secret is to be spread far and wide. And the secret, just like the first one was revealed by God. It is not HOW you fall that is the big secret, but what you do WHEN you fall. Are you like Peter? Falling several times but each time, he got back up and made his peace with God and continued following God.
Matthew 26:31-75 (the night of Jesus’ death)
31Then Jesus told them, "This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:
" 'I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'[c] 32But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."
33Peter replied, "Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will."
34"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times."
35But Peter declared, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the other disciples said the same….
69Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. "You also were with Jesus of Galilee," she said.
70But he denied it before them all. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said.
71Then he went out to the gateway, where another girl saw him and said to the people there, "This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth."
72He denied it again, with an oath: "I don't know the man!"
73After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, "Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away."
74Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, "I don't know the man!"
Immediately a rooster crowed. 75Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: "Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly….
John 21:15-19 (After Jesus returns from death)
15When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
16Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"
He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."
17The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."
18Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." 19Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God.
Or are you like Judas of Iscariot? When he discovered his sin, he despaired, hid and killed himself, never seeking God’s forgiveness.
Matthew 27:1-5 (Judas realizes his betrayal)
3When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned; he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. 4"I have sinned," he said, "for I have betrayed innocent blood."
"What is that to us?" they replied. "That's your responsibility."
5So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
They both fell, but reading each of their stories reveals how very differently they handled their fall. God wants us to handle our falls by requesting his forgiveness through confession and continue to keep shining the light of Him from within through our actions. This week, I want you to take time to meditate on his Word concerning falling. Proverbs 24:16 says “for though a righteous man falls seven times, he will rise again.” Search your life for the skinned knees and see if you have truly taken steps to make it right between you and God. Forget the fan club that comes from our confession of sin and decision to follow God. Because we know and trust God, He will work a miraculous change in their lives as we continue to follow God.