Some failures are hard to recover from, but recover, you must. Like worrying, wallowing in regret is a waste of time. I’ve discovered that when I don’t get right back up after a fall, it indicates I’ve forgotten some key truths.
One is that God’s forgiveness is one confession away. Our emotions tell us we must stay down and beat ourselves up before we come to God because we feel we don’t deserve His mercy and grace. Well, we don’t deserve it, which makes His offering it all the more beautiful. It’s best if we respond to Him with gratitude, not groveling.
Two, this failure did not catch God by surprise. It did not knock the wind out of Him, make Him blush, or cast His view of you into a shadow of shame. You can’t do that to Omniscience! He does, however, point us to Jesus, our Advocate (1 John 2:1). Look there!
Third, we have too much living, loving, serving, discipling, sharing, and eternal-treasure building up to do to darken our falling place with our shadow for too long.
Reflect, yes.
Grieve some, perhaps.
Maybe even shed a tear or two, but not so long that we cry a lake or an ocean.
Christ’s death on the cross covers all our sin That doesn’t mean it doesn’t sting when we displease Him. If we love Him, it should. Because He was crushed for our iniquities they need not crush us (Isaiah 53:5). Failure need never be final, My Friend. You may have fallen, but through Him you can get back up!