Back On Track

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

-- Joshua 1:9    

It was a televised mishap that would have sidelined most athletes.

At the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, Finnish runner Lasse Viren tripped and fell during the 10,000-meter race when his feet tangled with those of American gold medalist Frank Shorter. Both men crumpled to the track. But then Viren did the unimaginable. He got off the ground, resumed the race and soon caught the runners who had passed him. And then on the final lap, he not only passed his competitors, he literally left them in the dust to cross the finish line alone. Many sportswriters consider Viren’s performance to be one of the greatest comebacks in Olympics history.

Maybe your own errors and foul-ups aren’t of such epic proportions. And they might not play out before a global audience, but they certainly feel like it. How many times have we all made

such huge mistakes that it seems like the end of the world? We think we’ve blown it. It’s over. We’re discouraged. And we’ll never get back.

Life-changing mishaps can cover lots of territory. They might affect our personal relationships, career or even spiritual life — and maybe all the above. But the good news for Christ-followers is that we worship a God who not only understands what we’re going through, but also One who cares. What’s more, he’s a God of second (and third, fourth, etc.) chances.  

The apostle Peter learned this after asking Jesus, "How many times should I forgive someone who does something wrong to me? Is seven times enough?" Jesus answered, “Not just seven times, but seventy-seven times!”

If we’re to be so forgiving when others offend us, consider God’s patience with us when we make our many mistakes and fall short of his perfect standards. Let’s take to heart Peter’s testimony about our Creator — the One who can help us arise from failures, pain and discouragement — and then get back on track:

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time,” proclaims the apostle. “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”