It was the worst four seconds of his life, but soon it was all over. On October 21, 1936, a construction worker on the new Golden Gate Bridge fell 245 feet at 75 miles per hour to his death. As construction continued, a safety net was added so the workers would have confidence to finish the project faster. The safety net saved the lives of 19 other men who fell from the structure.

God’s grace is a lot like that safety net. While it doesn’t encourage us to “fall” into sin, it’s there to protect us when we sin or make foolish mistakes. This should cause us to live with confidence instead of fear. We can be confident of where we will spend eternity because grace guarantees every believer eternal life in Heaven. Grace also gives us confidence in God’s love for us because we find it even when we don’t deserve it. We have grace to thank when God does not give us what we deserve for our sins. With grace underneath us, we can live the way God wants us to live — by faith.

It is very easy for us to hide our lack of faith in God behind a friendly smile or a busy schedule. The flurry of activity and the external facade will only cover up the void in our hearts for so long. God may allow us to fall so that we realize our need for faith. The fall will be painful, but we will not fall to our destruction. There is a “Grace Net” underneath.

Perhaps you have fallen and are embarrassed at your failure. You feel that the people you know will never respect you again, and you will never be able to recover your damaged reputation. There is a safety net of grace for that. Humble yourself before God, embrace His undeserved favor, and get over it — start today!