Two winters ago, I joined the youth group for an outing to the skating rink downtown. I was amazed at the sight: twinkling lights, a Zamboni, and children using supports designed to help them learn how to skate. I sure wish they made those in adult sizes! I laced up my rented skates extra tight and set out on the ice.

Okay, I mostly stayed on the wall. The youth were rock stars, and the other adults skated circles around me. Kishwer tried to teach me some basics, but I fell. I got up and tried again, and I fell again. The third time I hit my knees, hard. At this point I figured maybe I’d have a better time cheering on the sidelines.

This past April, I went for a hike with Greg, and I lost my footing on a steep part of the path. I fell headlong on a patch of thorns and rock, crushing two bones in my hand and scraping my arms and legs. In the months it took to recover, I gained a greater appreciation for the physical abilities I had long taken for granted.

Some of our church members have experienced falls. Perhaps you or a family member have fallen. It’s a scary experience when it happens. More than the physical harm, there is a feeling of powerlessness when we fall, because we feel we should be able to walk or stand without losing balance.

In our spiritual lives, we often use “walk” as a metaphor for living and “stand” as a metaphor for conviction. Stumbling or falling, on the other hand, represents temptations, challenges, and hardships. The scriptures teach us that we should not cause one another to stumble, or in other words, we should not add any additional hardships to each others’ lives.

When it comes to our own lives of faith, I like to turn to the words in Psalm 37:23-24–

²³ The Lord makes firm the steps
    of the one who delights in Him;
²⁴ though they may stumble, they will not fall,
    for the Lord upholds them with His hand.

God has not promised we will not stumble or face hardships, but God upholds us when we stumble. May God give us steady feet.