I am a Christian. Yes I am. I have struggles upon struggles, and I sin as much as my heart beats. Some days I am so loving, I want to help, I want learn, I want to read, I want to minister, I want to spread the Gospel and God’s everlasting Love, I want to be in fellowship with my friends, and I want to have a Chocolate Chip cookie with a Frappuccino from Starbucks.
…and other days, (Well! let me not get into that just yet)
I am at a point in my life where I am learning to extend grace to even those who throw water in my face and say they are for me, but yet when they speak to me, they only bring me down. I am also learning that even when I fall God helps me back up, and I am learning that I will mess up, but God will still love me as much as the day I make Him proud. Because even with all my foolishness and sins, God said, "You're still worth dying for, I love you my son."
In the words of Pastor Joseph Prince lets me say the following: “Beloved, there is nothing you can do today to make God love you more, and there’s nothing you can do to make Him love you any less… Beloved, it’s not enough that you know that God loves everyone. You need to know and believe that He loves you, and let that revelation burn in your heart, especially when you fail.”
Church, we are going to fall and sometimes we might even look back. But what’s the point falling into depression or allowing yourself to look down on your own soul, understand that you cannot let God down, because you were never holding Him up. So the moment you fall, the moment you look back, the moment you make a mistake, GET BACK UP! Because the beauty in falling, it’s recognizing that you can still get back up. You might have some bruises, you might even be bleeding, and it might hurt, but WE must learn that “The ART of Falling” is only expressed in “The ART of Getting Back-up.”
I have been so blessed and humbled to have had the opportunity to lead a College Campus Bible Study of 60+ students on a weekly bases, and I am not saying that so I can boast on that, I am saying that because I have a burden for campus ministry, for college age students and when God puts us in leadership rolls, we must become an example to those we teach, through our actions, in public and behind closed doors.
Just two weeks ago, my pastor, Bob Coy of Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale (The 6th biggest church in the United States) said, “…even as I lead a ministry of 20,000+ I sin just as much as some of you do, and sometimes maybe even more…, but I have come to recognize that I am not perfect, and I will make mistakes sometimes, I do get mad, and just because I am up here, it does not mean that I have it all figured out, because I don’t!”
At that moment God spoke into my heart, it was just what I have been waiting for, God selected me, not because I had things all figured out, because I never did, no matter how good of a front I may put, but because, I too, I’m no better than any of you, I too will mess up, I too will fall and sin and look back, the beauty will just simply come in, in recognizing my fault, admitting my wrongs, repenting before the Lord, and allowing Him to use my brokenness.
Church let me encourage you, that it’s OK, to mess up, to fall, just don’t stay on the ground, don’t decorate your pit and become comfortable in it. On your way to getting up, your first step should be, to get on your knees, as you STAND STRONG and FIRM. So the next time you come across the same problem, just remember “become that Monkey from Dora the Explorer” and grab God’s hand to swing across, so you won’t fall in the hole.
With that said, "I FORGIVE you" please “FORGIVE me”
…but I will also say this quote from the best Post College Ministry Pastor around,
"The Church cannot change the world, if the church is like the world" -Pastor Billy Venezia. [Eikon]
So while it’s ok to make mistakes, let’s not get into the habit of making them every time, because “The Real ART of falling” can only be defined by “The ART of Learning Where and how you fail” so you won’t have to fall again. AMEN!
Ephesians 2:4 “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us..”
Daniel 9:9 “To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness's, though we have rebelled against him;”
Joel 2:13 “And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.”
Romans 3:23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
Proverbs 28:13 People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.
"A simple Guy Living a BOLD life for Christ"
-Francisco Nelson
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