You're walking along, doing your own thing, and then Wham! You tripped, you slipped, you stepped in a hole. However it happened, it happened. You're on the ground. Smooth move, Grace.
Don't feel bad. It happens. The most coordinated, graceful, and balanced people in the world fall sometimes. From professional athletes and dancers to the guy walking down the street. Everybody's at risk. It can happen anywhere, any time.
You were probably able to get back up.
We've all seen the commercial with the elderly lady who laments, "I've fallen, and I can't get up!" That's a classic commercial right up there with, "Where's the Beef?" and "Can you hear me now?" It's been laughed at, parodied, and mocked. But it's not funny. Not really. For some people, that's a reality.
When you fell, you probably looked around to see if anyone saw you, then scrambled up, brushed off the dust, the mud, the snow, and kept going. Maybe a little slower. Maybe with a couple of bumps and bruises. Maybe a little wiser, or even a little more humble.
But what if you couldn't get up?
What if you were stuck there with a broken ankle, a fractured hip, or any number of injuries? Do you know what you would do, who you would call?
Sure. You'd dial 911. That's the right thing to do. They're the experts, the ones trained to deal with that kind of thing. They've got the knowledge and the resources to get you the help you need.
Eventually, they'll get you back up on your feet.
We fall spiritually, too.
Just like everybody can fall physically, anybody can fall spiritually as well. In fact, according to Paul in Romans 3:23, every single one of us has fallen short of the glory of God. We've sinned. The chance that we will fall short of what God expects is even greater than our chance of slipping on the ice or falling down some stairs.
It's no chance at all. It is a certainty. You, and I, are going to fall. Repeatedly.
Hopefully, we don't fall far. Maybe we look at something we know we shouldn't have, or tell a lie, or some similar "little slip." I'm not condoning or belittling such behavior--sin is sin. We all know, however, some falls are worse than others.
What will you do?
If you can, you'll get yourself up off the ground (out of sin), and back on your feet (on God's path). Let's call that repentance. That's the first step.
We have to understand, though, that we can't get all the way to our feet on our own. We need help.
That's were God comes in. He's our Spiritual 911. God the Father, The Holy Spirit, and Christ. They are all there, waiting for us to call on them. No matter how far we fall, they can pick up the pieces and set us upright again. Without them, we'll never get up.
So there you have it.
Kind of a long way to go to simply say when you fall, call on God. You've never fallen so far that He cannot hear or help.
And remember, even a cancelled cell phone can call 911. Anybody can call on God.
Even lying flat on our back.
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