A setback is an unexpected change from better to worse, a
disappointment, a reversal.
Have you recently experienced a setback in your family, or
in your personal life, in your physical body, at work, in a relationship, loss
of a loved one, in your finances, in your relationship with God — and it’s
begun to make you worry and wonder where God is – and if you will ever
recover…I have a word for you.
God in his mercy is turning your setback into a come back.
King David experienced a terrible setback in his family.
David’s daughter Tamar is seduced and raped by one of David’s sons, Ammon, who
is then murdered by another son, Absalom, to take revenge. Oprah, Dr. Phil have
nothing on this!
As a result Absalom is banished from the kingdom. So David
lost a son to murder, had a horrendous thing happen to his daughter, and then
his beloved, yet murderous Absalom is banished from the kingdom because as
King, though he loved his son, he was charged to uphold the law. That’s where
this entire world was before God sent Jesus. We were banished from a loving yet
just and holy God because we all have broken the law.
After some time, the Bible says that King David longed to be
reunited with his son Absalom. Created in God’s image, David had the same
longing as the Father heart of God to be reunited with his children…
It was sadly reported recently that the last recorded words
of the Liberian national, Thomas Duncan, who passed away from the Ebola virus
in the Dallas hospital were, “I miss my son. I want to see my son”.
And here’s David, he longed to be reunited with his son
Absalom.
Out of this brokenness in David’s heart was delivered one of
the most insightful revelations of the heart of God that you will find in
scripture, delivered to King David by a little widow woman from Ketoah in 2
Samuel 14:14:
“All of us must die eventually…
Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground…
That can not be gathered up again…
BUT God does not just sweep life away…
INSTEAD HE DEVISES WAYS TO BRING US BACK WHEN WE HAVE BEEN
SEPARATED FROM HIM” (2 SAM 14:14)
As a writer, i hear plenty of “noise.” And, when you are distracted by
them,you will make mistakes. And if you're at all human, you get to see
mistakes,
failures, setbacks, and rejection at the end.
How do you persist in the face of adversity? How do you keep
going when you feel like quitting? How do you turn your setback into a come
back?Here are 5 ways:
1. Redefine what failure means to you.
Intellectually we know that our mistakes yield the
opportunities and insights we need to ultimately succeed in life. So when
rejections come, or the boss says no, or you lose the financing, house, or
whatever it is that you wanted, slow down and notice what isn’t working. Stop
focusing on all the ways you’re screwed, and start thinking about the
information that failure offers. It’s usually telling us to find a new way, or
to redirect our energies.
2.Learn to accept your mistakes and don't blame God for what you are going through.
It can be challenging to accept that we've made mistakes, especially if
we're coming from a perfectionistic background where "excellence" is
confused with "never making a mistake." Making a mistake is also
sometimes different from failure; failure is a result of not succeeding
at a conscious effort, but mistakes can be unconscious.You have made
mistakes,accept that fact.Many times when things go wrong in our lives,
especially if we think we
have been doing well (at least by our own standards) we tend to blame
God or other.thats veery wrong,accept the responsibility that you made
mistakes.
3. Experience disappointment, but don’t wallow in it.
Of course it hurts when our dreams get derailed. Allow
yourself to experience the frustration and disappointment that comes with
failure, then get up and get going again. Don’t deny your emotions, but make
sure that you also come up with another avenue, activity, or interest to pursue
so you don’t get stuck in the despair.
4. Detach yourself from pity party and focus on the process.
We can become so attached to people who will pity us that we
feel lost and devastated when we don’t get that one result,but how can we when
you are moving with the wrong people?. If there is only one way to succeed,
then disappointment will inevitably loom. Focus instead on the process: What is
it that is driving you toward your desired outcome? What are your passions and
values? Are the steps you’re taking toward your goal in line with those things?
If you are growing and learning and living close to people that have values and
passions all along the way, any outcome you achieve will feel worthwhile—even
if it is not your ideal because you have people with value around you who will
counsel you.
5.Get Out Of Your Head
Take a break (longer
if required) and re-group. You may require a fair bit longer depending on the
severity of the situation. But here is why you do it. You have to separate
yourself from the situation or set of circumstances. Ultimately, who you are
can never be defined by your current situation or by any setback. You have to
take a step back and see that you are so much more that anything that might
happen to you in this world.
6.Fast and pray
Sometimes,all you need is to look yourself up somewhere.If you can fast and pray too seek the face of
God atleast for a week or months,God will reveal what went wrong and the solution you need.All you need is
an instruction.
