Do you have a blueprint for daily living?
If so, what are your recovery steps for when you fall? In other words, what’s it going to take to get up when you fall? I wish I could tell you, you’ll never fall, but clearly, that’s not the truth.
What also isn’t true is that it’ll be easy to get back up. Getting back up the same way you went down is a setup for failure. One primary reason is you don’t want to get up the way you fell.
There should be some memory recall why you fell in the first place. Most importantly, whatever you’ve learned in falling, keep that on speed dial. Hold your head up and get up!
When all this starts to happen, up on your feet. Stand tall with your heads high. Help is on the way!” ( Luke 21: 28) To ensure you get up and stay up, there are three pr’s to consider: posture resonates, purpose refines, and prominence rises. Notice pride is not one of the three.
This is key to point out, since pride goes before the fall. Very simply, it's because of our pride we take that nasty fall.
Maybe you won't actually fall to the ground. One thing is clear and two is for certain, you’ll hit rock bottom, even if it's in theory. Normally it’s reflective in your lifestyle, work, school, family engagement, or the lack thereof.
It also must point ed out, if we don't learn the lesson of pride and its effect, we’ll repeat whatever pride tactical alert we ego trip over. Yes, there are pride tactical alerts that will cause us to trip over and even be bruised — if we don't pay attention to the pitfalls.
It's easy to be taken down by one, especially when we’ve been warned incessantly and not changed what’s caused the fall. You may not ever see yourself ego tripping, yet you’ve experienced pride tactical alert over and ove, because you don't see yourself as prideful.
“He that is of a proud heart stirs up strife, but he that puts his trust in the Lord shall be made fat.”
— Proverbs 28: 25
How many of us believers have slipped up and been caught ego tripping or pride tactical alert like me? I’ve struggled with PTA too many times to count. I discovered God let me continue to waddle in pride, until I hit a crash landing. It was only then that he had my undivided attention.
I was the one who ignored all of the warning signs. By then, I needed so much help to scoop me up from Broad Street and get me back on straight. Broad is the path to destruction and narrow is the way to Him.
“Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.”
— Psalms 107: 28
Maybe I’m the only one who ignored all the warning signs, but one thing I picked up was, when pride rears its ugly head, it always begins small, but over time it becomes big, and typically affects someone other than ourselves.
I kept running into these socalled land mimes because I led with pride back then. Now, my course is different. I’m led into all truth by the Holy Spirit, and I’m no longer the same.
I often get asked for examples of PTA. Some are thinking we’re better than others, laughing at another’s imperfections — especially those that are defects (can't do anything about it), not stopping to aid someone, bearing false witness, not apologizing to another you’ve harmed in word or deed.
Remember compassion/mercy is a jolt we all need. You won't know you need it, until you don't render it to someone in need. It’s a safe bet to show compassion to everyone.
How are you on the PTA scale? Is there any room for you to improve, or are you good and ready to teach the class?
It’s only when we can laugh at the very things that have kept us bound that we’re better people. I’ve found the best students are teachers, like me.
Apostle Jacqueline Hudson is a Waycross resident and author of the book “Never Say Never: A Memoir with a Twist.”
