I have been riding horses for a while, and at first, I thought I would never fall. It was so simple in the beginning—just walking around with an adult guiding me the whole time.

Eventually, I decided I wanted to become a real rider. So my mom found some lessons for me to do once a week. I was so excited to canter, jump, and learn all sorts of things that I could be proud of. Even though I couldn’t do any of this at first, I developed skills over years of hard work. But one day, my confidence was derailed.

I was mounting a horse when it got spooked and bucked. I was flung into the dirt, and I had nothing left to do but watch the horse gallop away.

Now, I still fall off sometimes and lose confidence. However, I know the only way to keep pursuing my dream is to trust the horse and get back on. In the same way, we can be deceived and fall into sin (James 1:14-15). The enemy’s goal is for us to be thrown into the dirt and stay there—to give up at the first sign of trouble or difficulty.

The truth is that life isn’t easy. We’re going to be tripped up sometimes, especially as we grow in our relationship with Christ. In John 16:33, Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” The good news is, once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that even when we walk through trials and temptations, God will hold on to us. His love won’t let go (John 10:28-30; Romans 8:38-39). He will help us resist sin. And, when we do fall, He will be right there to offer forgiveness, compassion, and help. Because Jesus is our foundation, we can remain strong and get up even when we fall. • Carys James

• The Bible has many, many examples of people who followed the Lord and then fell flat on their faces in sin. And God didn’t give up on them! He forgave them, picked them up, dusted them off, and continued to walk with them. We see this in the lives of Abraham, David, and Peter—not to mention the entire nation of Israel in the Old Testament walking away from God over and over. Falling down never has to be the end—because Jesus will never stop pursuing us. Can you think of any times in your life when you’ve fallen down and Jesus has helped you get back up?

• Sin, confession, repentance, and forgiveness is the normal rhythm of the Christian life. Consider spending some time in prayer, confessing any sins the Lord brings to mind and resting in His sure forgiveness.

[Jesus said,] “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NIV)