Welcome back to Unseen. It has been a busy couple of weeks. Today's post goes out especially to the new graduates and to anyone leaning to walk a new path.
Baby Steps
Do not rejoice over me, my enemy, for though I fall I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness the Lord will be my light. Micah 7:8
Baby Steps
Do not rejoice over me, my enemy, for though I fall I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness the Lord will be my light. Micah 7:8
I was watching a little girl try to learn to walk the other
day. She pulled up on the coffee table and let go. She stood for a minute
wobbling. She took one shaky step, then another and then a third. Mom was
cheering her on and beaming. As she looked up to get a better glimpse of mom,
the baby lost her footing. Boom. Down she went. She sat for a minute and then
pulled up again. This time she made a few more shaky steps before falling. The
third time she reached mom, who scooped her up, laughing and kissing her.
Before long she will be walking everywhere and mom will wonder why she was so
anxious for this day. Babies are much easier to catch on all fours.
What if the scene were a little different? What if the baby
fell down and instead of getting up she sat and looked at mom. What if she
thought, “Well, if I can’t do it right,
I’m not going to do it at all.” What if she thought, “I guess it’s just not
meant for me to walk.” Maybe she thought, “I wish I could walk as well as
Billy, but I can’t so I’ll just sit here and resent him for it.” Worse yet,
what it mom looked at the baby when she fell and said, “What’s wrong with you? You’re supposed to be
a walker. I got you a new pair of shoes and everything.”
We would never dream of doing that to a baby, would we?
Unfortunately we do it to new Christians all the time. Change the words to
this. “What’s wrong with you? You’re supposed to be a Christian. You got
baptized and everything.” We also are
prone to react the same way the baby did, when we are learning to walk with
God. Have you heard these words,or said them?
“I should help teach a class or tell someone about Jesus,
but I don’t know enough. If I can’t do it right (or perfect) I’m not going to
do it at all.”
“I guess it’s just not meant for me to pray for people’s
healing.”
“I know God wants me to write, but since I can’t write like
Rick Warren, I’ll just sit here and resent him.”
Your objections are different than mine, I’m sure but no
less destructive. Falling down is a part of learning to walk physically and of learning to walk with God. Fortunately God is a patient and helpful father. When we fall, the enemy swoops in to make the very most of it. He will whisper, "see you did it again. Your out of luck this time. You might as well not even try. One of my life verses is Micah 7:8. Do not rejoice over me, my enemy, for though I fall I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness the Lord will be my light. We need to "gird our loins with truth" (Eph 6:12) to stand up to that kind of talk. Roman s 8:1 and 2 is a beautiful verse that we too often forget. It tellds us, There is now therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ has set me free from the law of sin and death. Not only do we have God's assurance, but also the help of the Savior. 1 john 2:1 says
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have
an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for
our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
Can you think of a better reason to get back up after falling?
One place we as Christians often fall short is in dealing with others who fall. We can act like the mother in the story, and not like the Heavenly Father. Romans 14 talks about dealing with weaker brothers. He says that we must accept them and try not to put a stumbling block in their way. Galations 6:1-2 gives us this advice. "Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."
We will fall we are learning to walk with God for the first time or learning to walk with him into a new place in life or ministry. Put on your belt of truth and lets walk together.
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have
an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for
our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
Can you think of a better reason to get back up after falling?
One place we as Christians often fall short is in dealing with others who fall. We can act like the mother in the story, and not like the Heavenly Father. Romans 14 talks about dealing with weaker brothers. He says that we must accept them and try not to put a stumbling block in their way. Galations 6:1-2 gives us this advice. "Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."
We will fall we are learning to walk with God for the first time or learning to walk with him into a new place in life or ministry. Put on your belt of truth and lets walk together.
