Proverbs 24:16: “for a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity.”
TL;DR: Life will knock you down, but how many times you get back up is what defines you. When obstacles threatened to end a paddle board race before it even started, a verse from Proverbs made all the difference — and it can for you too.
Last week was a big one. I was blessed with a beautiful new granddaughter and got to spend time with her, her siblings, and her cousins. She is an amazing gift — one of those moments that just fills you up completely.
Two days after she was born, I packed up and headed to Chattanooga, Tennessee for a paddle board race down the Tennessee River. Before I even got on the water, I hit obstacle after obstacle. The kind that makes you think, “Maybe this just isn’t meant to happen.” I was seriously tempted to quit before I even started.
Then I read Proverbs 24:10: “If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength.” And then this one stopped me in my tracks — Proverbs 24:16: “Though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again.”
That’s the truth right there. Falling down is part of life — for all of us. The question is never whether you’ll fall. The question is whether you’ll get back up. And here’s the thing: you don’t have to find that strength on your own. Through the powerful gift of Jesus, rising up after failure becomes possible even when everything in you wants to stay down.
Don’t let the number of times you fall define you. Let the number of times you get back up through faith be your story.
I ended up having a wonderful adventure and a great race in Tennessee. I’m so glad I didn’t give up when things got hard. That faith-fueled perseverance — the kind that pushes you forward when quitting feels easier — is one of the greatest faith and fitness lessons I know. It applies on the water, in the gym, and in every area of life.
Whatever you’re facing right now, don’t quit. Rise up.
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