don't stay down...

Failures and false starts are a precondition of success. Paul Arden

Sometimes people want us to fail. Sometimes we false start and fall flat on our faces. Sometimes it's self-imposed stupidity that causes us to stumble. At other times it's not being equipped enough to handle what was required, dooming us to failure. The question isn't when will it happen, but rather what will you do when it does?

A righteous person may fall seven times, but he gets up again... Solomon, Proverbs 24:16

I can't be honest with myself if I'm not honest with others. I have fallen and stumbled in my walk with Lord. Stupid dating decisions, poor financial investments, flat-out transgressions that I knew were wrong [but I did them anyway] all led to falling into a pit that was deeper than I ever thought and darker than I could ever imagine. But where am I now and what have I learned?

Matthew Henry in his commentary on Proverbs 24:16 said this:

The righteous man, whose ruin was expected, recovers himself. He falls seven times into trouble, but, by the blessing of God upon his wisdom and integrity, he rises again, sees through his troubles and sees better times after them. The just man falls, sometimes falls seven times perhaps, into sin, sins of infirmity, through the surprise of temptation; but he rises again by repentance, finds mercy with God, and regains his peace.

I hate to burst spiritual bubbles, but the truth is that you will fall, you will stumble, you will fail, because we all do (Romans 3:23). But don't stay down. Get up! Like Matthew Henry pointed out, we rise again by repentance to find mercy and regain peace. In the words of Notorious B.I.G., If you don't know, now you know, you know, you know... Now get up, dust yo' self off, and keep walking. Beyonce did.