Discomforting words

“When we fall, Jesus picks us up. He’s busy.”

These are the first words of Chapter 22 in Scot McKnight’s book The Jesus Creed.

For whatever reason these words struck me as I read them last night. While the first sentence is comforting, I find the second one particularly discomforting. Why is it that after all these years (decades, centuries, millennia) of church history and even our own personal faith in Christ and his transformative work in our lives, we still have not figured out how to ‘fall down’ less often?

Children learning to walk generally learn quite quickly not to fall so often, and in a short period of time become reasonably good at not falling down. The animal kingdom teaches us that those who fall down a lot are easily overtaken by their predators, so in their case it is truly a life and death situation. So why can we not seem to learn to not fall down as often in our spiritual lives?

Of course the argument could easily be made that God’s mercy and grace would not be as evident in our lives if we fell down less. But Scripture is clear that that is no reason to fall down more!

One could also argue that since the falling down part is a result of our fallen nature there is little we can do about it. We are just simply people who fall down a lot. That is taking the easy way out I think. It is not my fault that I fall down? That does not mean I should not strive to fall down less.

I also think one option that we need to at least consider is the price we pay for falling down as well as the reward we get for not falling down so often. A child who falls on his face learns quickly that that hurts, and can be very embarrassing. They also learn that parents are so amazingly happy and proud of the child when the child learns to walk. Perhaps we are not ‘embarrassed’ or ‘ashamed’ (I am not talking about in front of or by others as much as I am talking about within ourselves) enough any more when we fall down. Or maybe we have lost the joy of pleasing our Heavenly Father when we don’t fall down as much. Or maybe we don’t even remember that He cares or is watching.

I know full well that my Father watches me in all I do, and wants me to fall down less. He is overjoyed when I am successful in that. So let me learn to keep striving to fall down less, to be adequately embarrassed or ashamed when I do, and learn to celebrate with my Father in my successes. And thanks, Jesus, for picking me up whenever I fall.