No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it.—1 Corinthians 10:13

Twice recently I have gone kablooey in my backyard – once falling flat on my face while chasing my lovable but brainless dog Pepper, and once falling flat on my behind while trying to protect a juvenile tree from a freeze. Both times were video-worthy, and both times—miracle of miracles!—I emerged unscathed.

Falling—whether in my backyard or from an 8-foot-high bar on uneven parallels, a fall from which I did not emerge unscathed—can have serious longterm effects. We can recover from those through the help of doctors and physical therapists. But spiritual falls are a different story.

We find ourselves in a pit surrounded by darkness, and we convince ourselves we can’t ever get out of it. That is a lie perpetrated by pride, bitterness, hopelessness or fear.

The Lies We Believe

Pride tells us we can’t admit how far we’ve fallen and how desperately we need help getting back on our feet.

Bitterness tells us we’ll stay in our pit if that’s the only place we can hold onto unforgiveness.

Hopelessness tells us we’ve fallen too far—that God and man have given up on us anyway.

Fear tells us the familiar darkness of the pit is preferable to what will be exposed in the light.

The Truth We Must Face

Pride is not your friend. It’s likely what got you into your current mess.

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.—Proverbs 16:18

But God offers an antidote.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.—1 Peter 5:6

Bitterness will become your undoing. It holds you in bondage (Acts 8:23) and poisons the people around you (Hebrews 12:15).

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.—Ephesians 4:31

Hopelessness is a form of spiritual amnesia that sucks us into a vortex of self-pity. We forget that “hope that is seen is no hope at all” (Romans 8:24), instead looking only at what we see while failing to look to the “God of all hope” (Romans 15:13).

And fear? Forget about it.

Perfect love casts out fear.—1 John 4:18

We should have only one fear: a reverent fear.

Fear Him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him.—Luke 12:5

The Steps We Must Take

I’m here to tell you that though you’ve fallen, you can get back up. Face it. You don’t like the pit. No one does. But, as 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us, you’re not the first one to fall into that pit, and you won’t be the last. God is a professional pit-picker. He sees you where you are and extends His hand of mercy to you.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits,who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.—Psalm 103: 1-5

He forgives you. He heals you. He redeems you. He crowns you. He satisfies you. He renews you. Over and over, because He is love.

Turn to Him today. It’s not too late. He came to give you more than this.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.—John 10:10