“The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.”-Proverbs 24:16
The biggest mistake that we will ever make in life is not “whatever” sin has tripped us up this week. It is failing to get up when we’ve been knocked down. There are a myriad of things that can knock you down including the world, Satan, sickness, and sin. However, none of these are listed as disqualifications in this race we are running. Yes, sin does separate us from our God (Isaiah 59:2), but if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
What I have found, however, that keeps most people down is not sin. It is shame. Sin will trip you up, but it’s shame that holds you down. It’s shame that keeps people from getting up and trying again.
If you were to take a snapshot of Rocky Balboa after a fight, you would assume he did not win. You would conclude that he got pummeled and lost, but actually everything he experienced in that ring is what allowed him to stand and declare, “Adrian, we did it!” When did winning mean coming out unscathed? For the sake of the church and those running the race, we need to redefine what winning looks like. Some of my favorite scenes in the Rocky movies are when Rocky is down for the count and Mickey is screaming at him to get up (cue the theme music) and he slowly lifts himself up off the mat. Rocky was winning, you just couldn’t tell it at the moment. The greatest power move you can make in your walk with Jesus is to get up again after a fall.
The Apostle Paul told his protege Timothy:
6 As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. 8 And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.”-2 Timothy 4:6-8
We live in a culture that values winning over finishing. Winning is equated with defeating the other competitors to get the prize. Where second place is just the first loser. Doesn’t sound very biblical, because it’s not.
David Wigington in his book “God of the Long View” wrote: “The Kingdom of God values finishing over winning. Paul doesn’t indicate if he was first, second or second to las in the race, he just says, “I have finished the race.”
We have associated winning with being first, when God sees winning as finishing the race. That is why we are encouraged to get up, again. Don’t stop. Get up, brush yourself off and keep going. Paul balances his thoughts about running the race with this verse in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27:
"24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”
We are not all competing for a single ticket to heaven, but we should all run like we are, train like we are, and discipline ourselves like we are. There is no excuse for not trying to live for Jesus with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, because the reality is Jesus already won!
“14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. 15 In this way, he disarmed[d] the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.”-Colossians 2:14-15
Jesus has already won and because Jesus wins, we win. We are not called to be the leading scorer in the church, we are called to finish. Christians are too busy competing among themselves for a trophy that Jesus already won. Our skewed view of winning has us passing people who have fallen and wishing them well rather than taking the time to help them up and help them along. We live as if somehow stopping to help others is going to keep us from winning. That we might miss heaven because we spent too much time helping people recover from their fall. We jog around them encouraging them, but never stopping long enough to help them up. We are compounding the shame they are experiencing. Truth be told, the greatest victory we can celebrate is helping others cross the finish line.
I am certain that as Jesus died on the cross, it didn’t like He was winning. Being wrapped in grave cloths and having a stone rolled in front of the tomb didn’t seem like a victory lap. Yet, we would have never appreciated what was accomplished through the blood, sweat and tears Jesus shed if He had not showed us how to get up. Jesus got up! He didn’t allow even death to keep Him down. Some of you need to get up! Get up out of your despair, out of your shame, and out of your failure. If you want to win, you got to finish.
Scott Burr
Dayspring Community Church
