Ron Hutchcraft Ministries - Giving Up or Getting Up - #8345

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

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I call it blown diet syndrome. You’re doing really well, shedding some pounds. Then you’re out with your friends and you take “one French fry”, and you go, “Oh no! Well, I might as well eat all the fries.” “Oh, no, no! I ate all the French fries. I’ve really blown it! I might as well have a shake to wash it down. Hey, how about a pizza later on?” Next day, “Hey, I really blew it! Oh, what’s the use? I might as well hit the Chinese buffet today.” It’s crazy. Just because you messed up once doesn’t mean you have to keep messing up and lose all the ground you gained…or wait. Maybe it’s gain all the ground you’ve lost.

I’m Ron Hutchcraft, and sadly, the “I blew it” syndrome spills over into our attempt to live for Jesus Christ. We’re doing well. We mess up one time, and then starts Satan’s shame game, “Hey, you blew it. What’s the use trying to do it right now? You might as well just keep doing what you’re doing.” The plan is simple: turn one defeat into a hundred defeats.

But here is God’s counterattack: “Though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again” (Proverbs 24:16 ). It doesn’t say a righteous man never falls. It says when he does, he gets right up and gets going again. You don’t give up because you messed up. You get up and you get up with what I call holy defiance against the enemy who led you into your fall.

Here’s God’s words, “Do not gloat over me, my enemies! For though I fall, I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light. The Lord will bring me into the light…then my enemies will see that the Lord is on my side. They will be ashamed” (Micah 7:8-10 ). That is holy defiance! I fell down, but I’m not staying down. And I’m going to do some serious damage to the one who brought me down!

This radio program references: Proverbs 24:16 ; Micah 7:8-10