Sometimes life doesn’t just disappoint us. It knocks us flat.
Failure, heartbreak, loss, divorce, unanswered prayers, and circumstances we never expected can leave us wondering whether we have the strength—or even the desire—to stand back up. This resource is about what happens next: finding a reason to rise, even when getting up may be the hardest thing you can imagine doing.
Original Drive Episode: #65 — Getting Back Up
Listen to the Episode
What This Resource Is About
There have been moments in my life when “getting back up” stopped being a motivational phrase and became something I actually had to decide whether I was willing to do.
Divorce turned the life I thought I was building upside down. The picture I had of my family and my future changed dramatically, and one of the hardest parts was suddenly seeing my daughters only half the time. Later, another deeply important relationship ended suddenly, bringing another kind of heartbreak and leaving me questioning not only what had happened, but whether I could trust myself—and at times, whether I could trust God.
That is one of the difficult truths about resilience: other people can love you, encourage you, pray for you, and believe in you, but eventually there is a decision that no one else can make for you.
You have to decide to get up.
That doesn’t mean pretending the hurt isn’t real. It doesn’t mean immediately understanding why something happened. And it certainly doesn’t mean getting back up all at once.
Sometimes getting up means doing one small thing today that you didn’t think you could do. Sometimes it means continuing to believe when you don’t have answers. Sometimes it means remembering the people who still need you, the life that still lies ahead of you, and the possibility that this painful chapter is not the final chapter of your story.
You may have been knocked down.
But you are still needed in the fight.
Key Takeaways
Being knocked down is not the same thing as being defeated. Some of life’s hardest experiences can leave us on the ground for a while, but they do not have to determine where our story ends.
Resilience often begins with a decision, not a feeling. We may have to begin standing before we feel completely ready to stand.
Other people can help us, but they cannot rise for us. Encouragement matters, but eventually we must choose our next step.
Faith does not require having every answer. There are seasons when we may be confused, hurt, or even angry with God and still choose to keep holding on.
Your life still has purpose beyond this moment. Pain can make the present feel permanent. It isn’t. There are still people to love, things to learn, and chapters yet to be written.
Related Topics
Adversity & Resilience
Resilience • Failure • Heartbreak • Divorce • Faith • Personal Worth
Related Resources
How to Find Gratitude When Life Is Hard
Gratitude does not erase difficult circumstances, but it can help us see that pain is not the only thing still present in our lives.
When God Gives You Enough for Today
When you cannot see how everything will work out, sometimes the next step is learning to trust God for what you need today.
