Get Back Up!

Have you ever felt like a failure? Have you ever felt like you have "gone around the same mountain" a hundred times on a particular issue? Do you find that you "beat yourself up" about it, or do you extend grace to yourself? I think sometimes it easier for us to extend grace to our children, our best friends, or our coworkers than to ourselves. I am so disappointed with myself when I stumble and fall in my spiritual journey.

Praying one morning, God used an example of Abigail to illustrate a point He was making with me about all of this.

You see, our Abigail is just learning to walk. She is so cute as she is testing the waters.

She gets up and takes a few steps.

Oops! She falls down.......

But, she gets back up again.

God asked me, "Tracy, do you get mad at Abigail when she falls? Do you think she is a failure? Do you scold her, telling her she should know better, do better, BE better?"

Of course not! When she falls, I encourage her to get back up. I am not angry or upset with her, but understand that as she grows and learns and "masters" walking, she will make mistakes, she will "mess up" and she will stumble and fall. I smile at her, clap my hands to tell her what a good job she is doing. I scoop her up in my arms, hugging and snuggling her!

And, so it is with our spiritual walk. We will make mistakes. We will stumble and fall. But, our Abba Father, our Daddy, isn't sitting behind us with arms crossed, furrowed brow, scolding us. No, "there is now NO condemnation in Christ Jesus". Our Abba Father wants to encourage us, to help us up. He is smiling at us, clapping His hands to tell us we are doing a good job, scooping us up in His arms, hugging and snuggling us.

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation in Christ Jesus....For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by Him we cry, "Abba, Father." -Romans 8:1, 15

Father God, thank You for Your grace and Your mercy. Thank You that You are my Abba Father, watching over me, encouraging me, and cheering me on! Help me to extend grace to myself, not focusing on my failures, but on how You are growing and maturing me. Glory to You, God! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

Questions to Reflect Upon

1. Are there areas in your life where you need to extend yourself grace and forgiveness?
2. How do you extend grace to family and friends, and why do you think it is difficult to treat ourselves in the same way?

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