If You Relapse
“For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again…”
Proverbs 24:16
I truly believe we are all addicted to something.
We all have an itch — it’s just how we choose to scratch it that differs.
For some, it’s obvious. For others, it hides in places people applaud: ambition, approval, work, even religion. But no matter the form, the itch is real. And sometimes, we relapse.
Relapse can feel like erasure. Like the progress we’ve made suddenly doesn’t count. Like we’re right back at zero.
And that’s exactly what the word means. Relapse comes from Latin: re- meaning “back” and labi meaning “to slip.” To relapse is literally “to slip back.”
But here’s the hope: while relapse means “to slip back,” redemption means “to be pulled forward again.”
Grace doesn’t erase your progress — it meets you in your slip and pulls you forward. Falling isn’t final. Slipping isn’t the same as being abandoned. And God’s mercy is always stronger than the ground you fell on.
Denzel Washington once said:
“If I’m going to fall, I don’t want to fall back on anything, except my faith. I want to fall forward. At least this way I’ll see what I’m about to hit.”
Even in failure, you can fall forward, because Christ redeems what you slip on and turns it into ground you can stand on.
And here’s where the gospel digs even deeper: relapse is one kind of slipping back, but repentance is another.
James Clear in Atomic Habits says every habit runs on a loop: Cue → Craving → Response → Reward. Relapse happens when the wrong loop pulls us back into old patterns. But repentance — metanoia — is a paradigm shift.
The Greek word metanoia means “to change your mind,” but in Jesus, it’s more than that. Repentance isn’t just turning away from sin — it’s slipping back into who you were intended to be. Your true self is in God through Christ.
Relapse is slipping back into the false self.
Repentance is slipping back into the true self.
When you repent, God doesn’t just forgive you, He reorients you:
Cue: His Word awakens you.
Craving: His presence draws you.
Response: His Spirit empowers you.
Reward: His life renews you.
Repentance is grace breaking the old loop and restoring the original design.
Repentance is always one decision away.
Grace is always one breath away.
And if you are reading this right now, you are already breathing grace and life.
Lyrics Connection
If you relapse
And are able to breathe in grace and life,
You can still change up your mind —
Don’t buy the lies.
Lies are expensive. They lead to debt and ruin. Every time we believe them, we’re paying with peace we didn’t need to lose. But truth is free, and in Christ, truth always sets you free.
Takeaways
Relapse means “to slip back,” but grace always pulls you forward.
Repentance (metanoia) is not just turning from sin — it’s returning to your true self in Christ.
Lies are expensive; they will always cost you more than the truth.
Prayer
Lord, when I slip, remind me that relapse is not the end of my story. Breathe Your grace into me again. Shift my mind, rewire my heart, and pull me back into who You made me to be. Thank You that even in my falls, I can fall forward into Your mercy and grace.
In Jesus’ name, Amén.
