Don't Stay Down!

Revelation 2:5
Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.

Shaun White, gold medalist in snowboarding is a skating phenomenon. Whenever you hear his name you are expecting him to win. You don’t think about a great snowboarder like him falling. You always envision some incredible flip or turn. He doesn’t even look human. This red head wonder is just as rare as the gene that makes him red-headed. In an interview, Shaun White admits that he has fallen from great heights but not many times. He said, he fell once right before his gold medal attempt. “I got back up and smiled and said to myself, “good I got that over with now let’s go for the gold." The bible says that all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God. There’s not one person who didn’t fall short this year. The problem is not falling, the problem is falling and realizing how far you’ve fallen.

Life can get so busy and we can move so fast that we don’t realize how far we have fallen from where we were. This is the time of the year where we can soberly look back and see how far we’ve fallen from our ideal place in God.

The reason we look back is not to torture ourselves but to make adjustments so you can go for the gold and not all for the same thing in the New Year. We can’t afford to stay down. There is too much greatness in each and every one of us. You don’t want to die not having reached your full potential. If you have fallen this year here’s what you need to do:

1. Repent. a. be sorry: to recognize the wrong in something you have done and be sorry about it.

1. b. change ways: to feel regret about a sin or past actions and change your ways or habits.

Feeling bad about a fall is only half of repentance. Changing your ways is the second part to your recovery.

2. Do the things you did at first. What things are you talking about? Why would I repeat what made me fall? Not those things! Do the things that got you to the top before you fell? i.e. praying, fasting, studying, exercise, practice, serving, giving, praise & worship, fellowship. Whatever spiritual disciplines had you shining and flying return back to those things.

3. Don’t lose your light. If you do not repent Jesus will have to take your anointing and give it to somebody else. Verse 5 If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.

Dear God, I’m ready to get back up. I’m repenting and returning back to you. I know from where I’ve fallen and I’m determined to do the things I did when I first received you. Take me back, take me back, Dear Lord, to the place where I first received you and restore the Joy of my salvation.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.