Stumble or Fall?

I read something this morning I want to share with you.

"Bernard of Clairvaux, a twelfth-century Cistercian reformer, wrote, "The first step of pride is curiosity. How does it show itself? Here is an example. There stands a monk who up to this time had every appearance of being an excellent monk. Now you begin to notice that wherever he is, standing, walking, or sitting, his eyes are wandering, his glance darts right and left, his ears are cocked. Some change has taken place in him; every movement shows it. These symptoms show that a monastic's soul has caught some disease. One who used to watch over his own conduct now is all watchfulness for others." ~Book of Common Prayer

Ouch. How many of us justify gossip under the ruse of curiosity. I know I am guilty of this. God has been speaking to me lately regarding my judgment of others. Not only my judgment, but in how I speak about their actions or decisions they have made. Reading the above text this morning convicted me of my pride. As the old saying says: "Pride comes before a fall." If there is anything I DON'T want, it's to fall. Will I stumble? Most likely. But there is a difference in a stumble and a fall.

A stumble is a misstep. A stumble causes you to reflect on yourself and check your balance so you can walk more confidently. Usually when you stumble, you are the only one that even notices your mistake. However, if you fall, everyone takes notice. Satan likes to manipulate our stumbles to make it appear we have fallen. He likes to convince us our stumbles have removed us from the grace of God. He also wants you to be so prideful that you compare yourselves to others and think, "Well, at least I'm not as bad as ____________(you fill in the blank)."


""We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check." James 3:2


Scripture tells us we WILL stumble. I don't know anybody walking the earth today that is never at fault in anything they say. There was only one person who had the ability to be perfect, and that was Jesus Christ. The last time I checked, none of us qualify for that title.

How is your balance today? Are you steady? Perhaps a bit wobbly? Maybe you have stumbled and are at the crossroads of deciding to either correct your balance or lean into the stumble and turn it into a fall. I would encourage you to reach out to the shoulder of Christ and allow Him to hold you up. Will you listen to the voice of satan who tells you there's no way to correct your misstep? Or will you focus on the hand Jesus is extending to you to catch your stumble and help place you back in a position to not only walk, but run the race He has set before you?

Giving to Get

We are all familiar with the "give to get" principal. It's pretty much the basis of the whole prosperity gospel that is unfortunately so prevalent in America. This morning I was thinking of this idea and realized how this also applies to giving up something in order to get something better for me.

If you are dieting or trying to become physically fit, it's easy to comprehend giving up soda and donuts in order to get a better body. However, we seem to have a hard time when it comes to spiritual matters. I'll be super honest here. The hardest thing for me to give up since becoming a Christian was....sex. There I said it. In our society it surrounds us everywhere! It's not until you commit to try and keep your thought life pure that you realize how much of our world has this as it's focus. However, I know the reason I have given up acting on this desire is because I know God has something so much better waiting for me once I am married. Notice I said I gave up ACTING on these desires. The desire never goes away, but God gives us the ability to flee from the temptation.

I also see now why we should not "play" around when it comes to dating. I've had to learn discernment the hard way in this area. I know that in order for me to even consider dating someone, he has to carry the same view of physical intimacy. If not, the temptation to sin will be incredibly strong. While men have told me they "understand" why I feel the way I do, that is simply not enough. I know I have to find someone who not only understands, but feels the same way himself. Sadly, this is extremely hard to find, even within the church.

So, aside from becoming a hermit locked in my closet 24/7, how do I resist the temptation. I've had to give up things I once enjoyed. I love music of all types and genres. I have had to give up listening to many genres because of their lyrical content. I recognize the "diet" I feed myself will eventually affect my body. I love dancing, but have also given up going out dancing because of the environment. I very rarely drink alcohol because it has an affect on my judgment and discernment.

What I have received in the present by giving up these things is a deeper intimacy with God. Instead of pursuing my worldly desires, I am pursuing the greatest love of my life. For now, He is my husband. Through this lack of earthly relationship, I have learned to be intimate with Him. He has shown me what it means to be a woman in His eyes versus a woman of the world. I've been both now, and trust me, looking into His eyes is so much better!


"And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the Lord." Hosea 2:19-20


So for now, I am content in knowing I am betrothed and beloved by God. I know someday there will be a reward for this obedience. He is the one who has placed this desire inside of me, so I'm trusting He will fulfill it in HIS time and it will be greater than anything I could have manufactured on my own!