Who do you know who is a gracious stumbler? No, I’m not talking physically, but in life. Where are the role models for handling stumbles whether they be sin stumbles, failure stumbles (different than sin stumbles), mistake stumbles (again, different than sin stumbles) or any other kind of stumble?
A few days ago, many varying opinions on Josh Hamilton came out after hearing about his relapse and stumble last January. The opinions are across the spectrum and the conversation got me to thinking about role models and failure or mistakes, role models and sin. It made me think about the fact that we value perfect role models. We value and look up to those who don’t make mistakes, who don’t miss a beat, who (supposedly) succeed at all they do, who are “on”. Then when they do fall whether it is a fall because of sin or just being human and making a mistake we rip them to shreds. Wow.
I started to think that if I do not witness recovery from failure or redemption and grace after sin then I am doomed to be a person who self-loathes, pities and beats herself up if I’m not perfect. Yes, we have a perfect God that we follow and not only did Jesus not sin but I don’t see him failing or making mistakes in Scripture. So, I follow a perfect God who shows me grace and offers it to me in my sin, but I never got to see him recover from failure or a mistake. This is hard for me.
So, if Jesus isn’t our role model for gracious stumbling (again, sin or not), then who is and what do we expect of him or her?
I would love dialogue on this. This is an open ended entry. Thoughts?....
Gracious Stumbling
By Laura Murray - Posted on August 20th, 2009
Tapestry features leading Christian writers and thinkers who have come together to engage culture from a biblical worldview. For more information about the contributors, please see the 
This is so rich! Thank you so much for this perspective and reminder of living a life of faith whether stumbling or not!
So I guess we are talking here about those "saved saints"? If so, what about King David? He is a perfect example of one who stumbled often and what did he do? He ran back to God and sought Him. What about Peter? He surely stumbled and Jesus lovingly brought him back into the fold.
You ask: ... what do we expect of him or her? To me the last part of that question is the critical part. So what did
David do? He humbled himself before the Lord. So the first thing is to humble oneself before the Almighty God of the Universe who sees all before, now and in the future and yet in all of that His lovingkindness and mercy is constant.
So what did Peter do? He wept bitter tears of repentance. I think that too is a critical piece.
What did neither David nor Peter do? They did not berate themsleves, beat themselves up nor do we see that they "bothered others" with their stumbling. Too often these days we see/hear of the "dirty laundry" being aired. This is in sharp contrast to King David and Peter. We hear of their humility before God,
against thee and thee only did I sin; Peter do you love me? three times.
I do not have a problem with those who stumble and humble themselves, I do have a problem with those who do not. I do not have a problem with those who repent but I do have a problem with those who don't .
Now the personal application: when I stumble, be
humble and repent. Seek the face of God. The problem comes when the "enemy" surfaces and says it is not a stumble. We live in a world that is reconfiguring itself to be very "pc"...but that is in sharp contrast to the Word. What does Micah 6:8 say? He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.
Perhaps that is why Peter wrote these words as if he was remembering what he learned from his stumbling: 1Pe 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: and then the reason: 1Pe 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
And also in Jas 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
So I think in my opinion it all boils down to this: when one stumbles will he/she remain proud or will he/she humble himself and submit himself/herself to the Lord? A further question is this: What is the wisdom in this case? Who is the wise man/woman? Those that know what God hates and what He loves. Pro 6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: Pro 6:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, ...
Today in my quiet time I was in Habakkuk. What a marvelous teaching tool for those who are questioning as you are. Habakkuk cried out to the Lord, "how long"...God answered, It is a book of the dialog between himself and God. When things looked the bleakest what did Habakkuk do? He said I will exult the Lord.
So when we see the obvious strange and mixed messages our society is sending our way, what should we do? Go to God as Habakkuk did, seek His face and when we still do not understand, say as Habakkuk, I choose to exult Thee...I choose to magnify thy name, I choose..that is critical., Habakkuk chose the right way. He chose to be obedient even when things looked the blackest. We too must choose the right way and that way is to fall upon our faces before God, repent, and then exult Him. Trust that He is sovereign and in His time He will make all things right.
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