Since beginning this journey of healing from my addiction, God has given me a clear picture of running a race and He is on the sidelines, cheering me on every step of the way. Just recently though, I got an even clearer picture of God running this race with me, never leaving my side. There are many times that I slip up and fall and more often than not, it is easy to stay down for a while, having a pity party and too ashamed to get back up and try again. I have this picture of me beaten up, just lying on the ground, drowning in my sin. It is not a pretty picture. Satan often gets the best of me during these times and it is so easy to continue to stay down rather than try and get back up, even knowing that God is right there encouraging me to get back up and waiting to continue the journey with me.
During one of my most recent slip-ups, I was picturing myself down and out when I heard God whisper to me, “Get up, you are wasting time and Satan is taking full advantage. You are only slowing your progress by staying down.” This was a defining moment for me. Obviously, I don’t want to stay down and I don’t want Satan to get the victory but sometimes it is so hard and overwhelming thinking about getting up. I lose sight of God and the fact that He is right here, offering me a hand back up. In all reality, it is not that hard to get up. Satan wants us to think that it is harder than it really is. God is on our side and more than willing to help us get back up but we have to choose that for ourselves.
Why is it so easy to look at the hard part of the journey and lose sight of the fact that God offers a way out and a hand to help us back up? The answer is Satan. He tries so hard to stall our progress. But all we have to do is look on our left or on our right and see our biggest cheerleader right there cheering for us to get up and move on.