As if You Had Not Fallen
One
When Your Kid Falls
Have you ever watched little kids soccer? Like, four to five years old? It’s like watching a bunch of drunken Ewoks running around. Especially since they’re always falling down for practically no reason. And, if you’ve ever been at a game in one of these leagues, what do you think the parent yells at the kid when he falls down? Do you think the parent yells, “Shame on you!”? Do you think the parent yells, “Sit there and think about what you did!”? Of course not. The parents all yell the same thing when their kids fall down. They yell, “Get up!”
And this is, very simply, what God is yelling for us to do every time we fall into sin. He doesn’t want us to fall apart emotionally. He doesn’t want us to over-analyze it. He just wants us to get up and get back in the game.
Two
Don’t Overthink It
Some little kids on the soccer field act surprised when they fall down. They take a tumble, and then maybe they just sit there, and look around, and scratch their head. Wondering how this could have happened. It’s no great mystery how they fell. They fell because they’re a clumsy little kid. And they don’t need to sit there and contemplate the intricacies of gravity and running. They just need to get back up.
It’s the same with us and our sins. There’s no point in acting all surprised at our sins. Acting shocked, or mystified, how could this have happened to me? How did this happen to me? How could I have fallen like this? It happened to you because you’re like every other little goofball on the soccer field. Those kids are not very physically mature or physically disciplined, and they fall a lot.
In the same vein, you’re not very spiritually mature, you’re not very spiritually disciplined, and you just fall a lot. No big deal. That’s just who you are, and it’s where you're at, and pretty much everybody else is in the same boat. You don’t need to overanalyze it. Just get up and get back in the game.
Three
Don’t Sit and Cry About It
Some kids on the soccer field are a little overemotional. It doesn’t matter how many times they fall, or how gently they fall, they always get all weepy about it. They punch the ground in frustration, or they sit in the grass in frustration. As if it’s some heartbreaking tragedy every time they topple. And the parents kind of laugh quietly to themselves, and they yell, “It’s okay, you’re fine, just get up.”
The same thing happens with some of us when we sin. We get way too emotional about it. We get all moody and depressed, and we sit in prayer and we grit our teeth and we shake our heads in discouragement.
I wonder if the Heavenly Father smiles to Himself then when He watches how melodramatic we get, as if we were surprised and utterly devastated by the fact that we have habitual sins and vices, like we’ve always had and like everybody has. But if we sit too long sulking, of course, Our Heavenly Father has to cup his hand to his mouth and call down, “It’s okay, you’re fine. Just get up.”
Because the game is still going on. And we’re wasting time just being sad. So just pick yourself up and get back in the game.
Four
If There’s an Easy, Obvious Fix – then Fix it.
No in these little kiddie leagues, as I said, kids habitually fall all the time for no reason. But it could happen that some little kid keeps tripping because his shoes are untied. And in that case, the parent might yell from the sidelines, “Tie your shoes!”
Similarly, if we notice that the reason we’re falling is because of a certain structural issue, for instance, we’re not getting enough sleep, or we’re needlessly putting ourselves in temptations way, or something like that, in those cases, where there’s an obvious thing causing the fall that you can quickly and straightforwardly address, yeah, in those cases, do what you need to fix the issue. But if there isn’t anything like that, no obvious, straightforward fix, then just assume you fell because you’re weak and clumsy (no big deal, we all are), and pick yourself up and get back into the game.
Five
Like You Had Not Fallen
St. Francis De Sales once wrote, “If you commit some fault, do not lose courage. Rise up immediately, as if you had not fallen.” That right there is the kid you want. The kid who, when he falls, gets up immediately and keeps running with no diminished enthusiasm, as if he’d never fallen at all. You don’t want a kid who overanalyzes when he falls, or who has a meltdown. You want a kid who gets back up and runs and loves it.
So here’s the key takeaway: if you sin, or I should say, when you sin, just get back up immediately. Ask God for forgiveness, and anyone else you need to, and resolve to confess your sin the next time you go. Then just resume the Christian life. Resume it with joy, with enthusiasm, with cheerfulness. Don’t let your own weakness, your falls, disturb you, or take away your delight and happiness. Get up and run like you haven’t even fallen. Don’t worry about it. You’re fine. Just get up and get back in the game.
Suggested Resolutions:
Choose one resolution for today to help you grow closer to God, or create your own. Here are some ideas to inspire you.
As soon as you fall, find a time to go to confession, get it on your schedule and stick to your plan.
Don’t let relationships fester, apologize quickly even when it’s difficult to face conflict.