Recently, I watched an athlete’s inspiring moment – he fell during a race, but instead of giving up, he picked himself up and finished the course. What struck me wasn’t whether he won, but his refusal to let that fall define him. It’s a powerful reminder that we all face setbacks, but it’s how we respond that matters – we can choose to rise again and keep moving forward.
Friend, you can rise again (Proverbs 24:16). Sometimes, life is not about not falling. It is about what you do when you fall. The truth is, many champions can tell stories of seasons of failures and disappointments. What differentiates them from losers is the determination to rise again and pursue their dreams (2 Corinthians 4:7-12). They refuse to give up.
The person who is truly a failure is one who refuses to rise again after he falls. This is what the enemy wants for you (Micah 7:8). He wants you to remain on the ground. He wants you to accept defeat. He wants you to conclude that nothing good can come out of your life again. He does not want you to rise again (Psalm 3:2-3). But you must disappoint him. You need to rise again.
Failure is not final. It is not a person. It is only an event (Judges 16:22). But why would you allow failure to define you? Why would you allow what happened to you to alter the trajectory of your life? The reason people miss out entirely on divine purpose is not because they fell. It is because they refuse to hand over their lives (and mess) to God (Psalm 51:1-13).
Just like the clay, you must remain in the hands of the porter no matter what (Jeremiah 18:1-6). This is why when you fail or fall, the best place to go is God’s presence. But the devil wants you to run away from Him. One of the lessons from the story of the prodigal son is that he chose to rise again and return to his father. He despised the shame and mockey (Luke 15:18).
Your worst days with God are still better than your best days without Him (Psalm 118:21-24). Go back to God. Get back on track. You might have wasted time and lost opportunities, but God is the restorer (Joel 2:25). He will fix you again. Your dreams are still valid. Your destiny is still possible. God’s eternal counsel and purpose for your life will still come to pass. Amen.
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria