Gospel Reflections #412: Only God can keep us standing

1 Corinthians 10:12 'Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing, take heed lest he fall.'

When we first come to faith, we don't know God very well, so we take detours and make mistakes, and through turning to Him, leaning on Him, and relying on Him, we are allowed to experience being kept alive in God's grace.

However, as our life of faith grows longer and longer, we sometimes become accustomed to it and think we are living our lives of faith without any trouble.

This verse does not say "he who stands" but "he who thinks he stands.

We tend to think that we are standing on our own, even though we would not be able to stand without God.

God knows what we are going through, so He speaks to us to give us a chance to reflect on ourselves.

This is like a parent worrying about a child and trying to avoid painful experiences.

God is not telling us, "You must not fail," but He is accepting us everywhere, saying, "Even if you fail and fall, I am here, so come back to me whenever you want.

We can take a new step forward in the real world only when we run to God and ask Him to comfort us and heal us, instead of looking at ourselves and mourning or feeling down.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.