4.7.26
Hey, Calvary Chapel –
God doesn’t measure you by how many times you fall down, but by how many times you rise up.
Whenever we set someone before the congregation as a candidate to be an elder, we ask if there is anyone who knows anything that would disqualify him from this office and ministry. We set one man before the congregation following this pattern and the next day his wife was in my office to report that in the previous week, she and her husband had a fight. I just sat there, expecting to hear more. When she didn’t say anything else, I asked, “Is that it? You just wanted to let me know that you two had a fight this last week?” She responded, “Yes – I just didn’t want you to think that we are the perfect couple.” I let her know that that thought had not crossed my mind.
Now, she wasn’t some kind of mean-spirited, petty-minded woman trying to drag down her husband. She was motivated by a high ethic of not wanting anyone to think too highly of her and her husband. She wanted to make sure that I had a sober assessment of their marriage. I told her that what she had done was to take a snapshot of their marriage, one frame frozen in time, and presented it to me for my viewing. But I told her that I wasn’t looking at a single photo, instead, I was viewing the video of their life. I know that someone could take a photo of my life at certain moments and I would look really ugly. But a photo doesn’t capture the full story. A photo is stripped of context. A video is more honest.
This helps me understand a Bible passage that has bothered many people – not because it’s hard to understand – but it’s difficult to comprehend. Both Old and New Testaments, in 1 Samuel 13:14 and Acts 13:22 refer to David as a man after God’s own heart. Many would say, “Well, of course. David was trusting in the name of the Lord when he slew Goliath; and he was looking to the Lord when he didn’t kill King Saul when he had opportunity; and only someone as godly as David could write the Psalms. David prayed and praised and trusted in the Lord.” And all this is very true. David was also a murderer, an adulterer, and an amazingly poor father. So, how could someone so violent, and lustful, so indifferent to life and family responsibility be a man after God’s own heart? Great question! I certainly understand how the question would be raised.
Remember: God doesn’t measure you by how many times you fall down, but by how many times you rise up. The Bible doesn’t describe David as a perfect man, let alone a man of faultless character. He is described as a sinful and broken man, and also as a man who humbly and eagerly sought the favor of God after his many sins. He wrote that God will not despise a broken and a contrite heart. But what really made David a man after God’s own heart was that he sinned boldly and deeply, yet he also believed that God’s grace was greater than his sin. He not only believed that God would forgive him, but that God would restore him, too. He didn’t experience God’s forgiveness accompanied by a lingering sense of guilt and shame – he experienced God’s forgiveness attended by joy and celebration. David refused to wallow in his sin; he luxuriated in the grace and joy of God’s glorious forgiveness. He was a man who got it.
This means that you, too, can be a man or woman after God’s own heart. Proverbs 24:6 says, “For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again.” This seems almost incoherent. If someone is righteous, doesn’t this mean that they won’t fall? No. Righteousness doesn’t guarantee you won’t fall – it means that by the grace of God you’ll be impelled to rise again! This is David’s testimony and it is your testimony, also. If I take a photo of your life at certain times – you’ll look real ugly. But the video shows God coming to you and lifting you up. God doesn’t measure you by how many times you fall down, but by how many times you rise up. You’re not measured by your sin, but by God’s grace. And for this we are eternally grateful.
Be blessed and stay healthy and follow Jesus – Pastor Tim
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