1 Samuel 31:12 (NKJV)
“all the valiant men arose and traveled all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth Shan; and they came to Jabesh and burned them there.”

Many heroes of faith have fallen in their journey with God. Many good people have stumbled. Many servants of God have ended their ministries in an inglorious way. There are many who started well but did not continue to the end. This is the reality of the battle we face.

However, it is not our job to rejoice that these brethren fell. That’s Satan’s work, and we are not on his side. When our brethren fall for whatever reason, this should make us mourn. We are in a battle that has only two sides, and we must choose the side of God’s people.

Valiant men don’t celebrate the fall of God’s servants. Valiant men mourn when they see great men crushed by the enemy’s wicked sword. The truth of the matter is that no matter how great we think we are, we too can fall on the field of battle. Let’s never forget this.

We should honor our fallen heroes. Let’s not judge them harshly or join others in throwing stones at them. Only God should judge them. We need to show compassion because they once served God’s people well. Honor them for who they once were.

When the valiant men of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to the bodies of Saul and his sons, they did not join the crowd of condemners or the fellowship of pity-partiers. They chose to take action; after all, this was their royal family.

“They took their bones, and buried them…and fasted seven days” (verse 13). Let’s mourn when our leaders fall from grace. Let’s weep for those who once walked with the Lord and departed from Him. Let’s not brush over it. Let’s not apportion blame.

As valiant men, let’s feel the pain of the assault. We are one community in Christ. The fall of one is the fall of all. Superficial men only think about themselves and are quick to point out the failure of others rather than think of what to do about them. We, however, mourn.

How you react shows who you are. What you do about fallen heroes reveals your true nature. Be valiant by refusing to join the crowd that analyses and rejoices over the brethren’s failure. While we don’t condone sin, we must be sympathetic towards those who have fallen.

@ChineduOranye
RestlessPilgrim.org