Steve Urkel, from Family Matters, famously coined the phrase, “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” As I think of the hilarity of that character doing that, I can’t help but think how true that phrase is for so many of us. There’s not a single person on the planet who doesn’t fail or fall. Romans 3:23 says, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (NLT). No matter how hard we try or what we do, we fall short of the standards God has set for us.
Does that mean we shouldn’t try? Of course not! No matter how many times we fall, God’s grace is there to catch us. However, there are times we fall when we think it’s so bad that God’s grace won’t catch us. We feel ashamed and are unwilling to seek forgiveness because we knew what we were doing was wrong, and we did it anyway. We feel the guilt of letting down God, others, and ourselves. We are afraid to ask for help, and feel like we can’t get back up.
I believe that’s why it’s so important for us to have a Christian friend who can help is in those times. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says, “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.” We need another believer to help us get back up when we’ve fallen. If we don’t have that, we’ll be like Steve Urkel, but without the hilarity.
We need other people in our life to help us succeed in living the way we are commanded to live. We need them to hold us accountable, to encourage us, and to pray for us. There’s not one of us who doesn’t need someone like that in their life. If you don’t have someone like that in your life, let me encourage you to reach out to someone you know, and can trust, to ask them to be your partner in success. I know it will be mutually beneficial, and you’ll have help to get you back up the next time you fall..
Devotions by Chris Hendrix 