The ‘Stair Step’ Principle!

July 14, 2025

   In the life of any human being, there occur spots of success, along with blatant, in-your-face blotches of failure. Interestingly, each spot of success and each blotch of failure collectively comprise the makeup of who we are today. This is true because God created mankind to do in this life, i.e.to act (Gen1:26-28). However, and incredibly, as you act, regardless of the number of failures, by God’s grace, along with the virtue of intestinal fortitude, our failures can be transformed into successes.
  For example, an 18-year-old is considered to have achieved a milestone in life upon graduation from high school, even considering numerous past failures/mistakes in academics, family, sports, or in any other areas of his life. Upon the achievement of his graduation, he feels better about himself, his family feels better about him, and his graduation is evidence that he has done something worthwhile--he has achieved, he has accomplished, he has produced. On the ‘Stair Steps of life’…he just stepped up!
  On the contrary, in the moment of a celebration of one’s accomplishment, we can often either ignore or forget the hard work, sacrifice, late nights, etc., that was involved in that person’s ‘step-up’ moment. In other words, the suffering endured in an accomplishment can easily be swallowed up in the bliss of the celebration of that accomplishment.
 A second example of pressing through the suffering of stepping up in this life is a child learning to walk. In order for a baby to successfully take his first steps, he must first work through possessing the necessary strength and coordination in his legs. To facilitate this process, we buy jump chairs with wheels on them, or perhaps we may even hold the baby in our laps, allowing him to strengthen his legs by jumping up and down—in preparation for the moment he begins to walk. Yet, in spite of our many efforts to help, what happens when the child first attempts to walk? He repeatedly falls!! However, after falling, as every child who is learning to walk does--it is assumed the child will stand up again to achieve his objective of walking.
  Allow me to cut to the chase. What’s amazing about the process of a child learning to walk is: initially, the child falls more often than he takes successful steps! Over and over again--He stumbles! He crashes! He bangs his head! He scrapes his knees…and will often even cry!! ---YET, he can only accomplish walking if he gets up and tries to take another step!
  Because it is so very easy to celebrate the accomplishment of a graduate or a baby finally learning to walk, our celebration easily ignores or neglects the difficulties inherent in the ‘step-up’ process that caused the graduate or child to reach their final objectives. So, allow me one final illustration to make my point of this tidbit crystal clear.
  When a man approaches a staircase, it is assumed he possesses the physical strength, energy, mental acuity, character, etc., to reach the top of the stairs. However, even with all the previously mentioned attributes, for a man to reach the top of the stairs, he must ‘act’ on the forward and upward motion of taking the next step up!
  However, in the reality of living a meaningful life, the three words ‘forward and upward’ are very simple to say out of our mouths, but the actual action is not! Why? The ‘Stair step’ principle of life is always and only preceded by unforeseen pain and failure. In other words, the higher one achieves in life, the greater the obstacles, and the greater the endurance necessary to overcome those obstacles! On the contrary, a person who does not step up in life, or who rejects the endurance necessary to overcome the obstacles—in essence—refuses to ‘fail-up’ or to ‘fail forward’ to the new level that exists before him!
  For example, each step-up in life requires at least five things.
i.the intestinal fortitude to recognize that one currently exists in a measure
   of failure
ii.the intestinal fortitude to resist remaining in the same place, i.e.to reject
    the  ‘comfortable life.’
iii.the intestinal fortitude to commit to, and then act on the decision to
    ‘step up’ 
iv.the intestinal fortitude to acquire the appropriate knowledge designed
    to result in new skills
v.the intestinal fortitude necessary to press through the repeated failure
   inevitable to each step-up’!


  In other words, to begin the step-up process in life, you must first recognize the ‘measure of failure’ in which you presently exist. But, as quickly as possible, you must reject that present failure as your destination—or it will push you into hopelessness! On the contrary, you must see it as a doorway!! In other words, you must ‘CHOOSE’ to turn your present ‘measure of failure’ …into your motivation!!! Remember, in God’s mercy and redemption, after man sinned, i.e.failed, God responded by taking that failure…and literally turning it into the doorway to your success! God used the sin of Adam (Rom5:17-19) to bring victory through the second Adam—Jesus, who was and is our substitutionary sacrifice (Heb2:9; Rom8:32)!
  On the contrary, it is fear that makes failure a destination, which is why God calls fear a “spirit”(2Tim1:7). Tragically, when fear is imbibed, it freezes or immobilizes a person in their present measure of failure! So, if you choose to quit (Pro24:10) in that present ‘measure of failure, you will begin to live in that failure---and ultimately become a failure! In short, quitting equals failure! Therefore, only ‘forward and upward movement’ can land you on God’s destination for your success!
  For example, falling is the final destiny of discontinuing movement on a bike. On the contrary, when you fall off your bike, get up, get back on, and as you push the pedal forward, your balance will return, and your forward progress will resume. On the contrary, if a biker falls and remains on the ground--failure is certain! It is irresistible! It is established! I repeat, to get up, get back on the bike, and push the pedal forward again, regardless of the pain or number of falls, is the only assurance of success. Yet, the decision to get up is entirely personal (Pro24:16)—it has nothing to do with skill, energy, or talent. It’s called intestinal fortitude!
   Returning to the ‘Stair Step’ principle. The width of the steps on any given staircase is not made for the placement of the entire length of the human foot, but only for the ball of the foot. Why? Because stairs are made for neither standing still nor moving backward! Stairs are only made to move forward and upward! However, if you refuse to move, you may in fact find yourself falling backward!!
 In summation,
     1.failure occurs much more than success, yet we are remembered for our
       success
    2.you will always encounter resistance, struggle, pain, and hurt in the
    process of stepping up.
    3.move only forward and upward

Remember, the unfailing Word of God:
1.David encouraged himself in the LORD his God… (1Sam30:6)
2.If you faint in the day of adversity Your strength is small (Pro24:10)

Victory is waiting for you at the top of the stairs(1Cor15:57)!