If You Fall, Get Up Before You Become Comfortable Lying Down

IF YOU FALL, GET UP BEFORE YOU GET COMFORTABLE LYING DOWN

Life has a way of knocking us down. Whether through disappointment, failure, heartbreak, sin, or discouragement, falling is an inevitable part of the human journey. However, the real danger is not in the fall — it is in staying down so long that you begin to grow comfortable there. God did not create you to dwell in defeat. He created you to rise, overcome, and walk in victory. So, if you fall, get up before you become comfortable lying down.

The Fall is Not Final. Proverbs 24:16 reminds us, “For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.” Falling is not a sign of weakness but a part of being human—even the righteous fall. However, the decision to rise again separates the victorious from the defeated.

Many people fall and then begin to build their identity around the fall. They get used to brokenness, become familiar with dysfunction, and settle into a space they were only meant to pass through. The enemy is subtle — if he cannot stop you from falling, he will try to convince you to stay down.

Don’t Get Comfortable in the Wrong Place. When the Prodigal Son found himself in a pig pen, hungry and humiliated, he could have justified staying there. Nevertheless, something stirred within him. Luke 15:17 says, “When he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!’ “He remembered who he was and whose he was. That realization prompted action. Verse 20 says, “So he got up and went to his father.” Comfort in a fallen place is deceptive. It convinces you that you can live with less, settle for less, and be less. However, the moment you realize that you are made for more is when you reclaim your authority and purpose in Christ.

God's Hand is Reaching for You. Psalm 37:23-24 says, “The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.” God’s hand is not only there to guide you — it is also there to lift you. When you fall, God does not look at you with condemnation. He looks at you with compassion. His desire is to restore you, not to reject you.

Shake Off Shame and Rise Again. Shame is one of the biggest reasons people remain down. It whispers lies like, “You’ll never recover,” “People will judge you,” or “You’ve failed too many times.” However, Romans 8:1 declares, “Therefore, there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. “God is not asking you to be perfect — He is asking you to be willing. Willing to rise. Willing to try again. Willing to believe that your story is not over.

Final Thought: Rise, Rebuild, and Run. Micah 7:8 proclaims, “Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.” Do not stay down if you have fallen in faith, in life, in purpose. Get up before lying down, which becomes your new normal. Shake the dust off. Remember the promises of God. Stand tall again. Because your calling is still intact, your purpose is still alive, and your future is still unfolding.

You were never meant to live on the ground — you were born to rise.

Bishop John C. Parks