Setbacks
I generally think if I had been more prepared for life’s setbacks, I would have been less frustrated when I experienced them. What was emphasized when I was in high school was having a dream, having goals, knowing what you wanted to do. And as much as that is important, it’s half the truth.
A setback is defined as something that happens that delays or prevents a process from developing. A setback can be a problem you encounter, a mistake, a complication, a disappointment, an interruption, or a failure. Setbacks aren’t planned, but they happen anyway. But why? Well because the devil is an enemy of anything that’s good because good is what God is. He knows very well that every good gift is from God, so he makes it his job to interrupt all that is good.
Setbacks have the potential to completely halt (ruin) your life, but thing is, you determine the strength of each setback. They are only permanent if I let them be. Whether they only delay me or they completely prevent me is totally dependent on me. It all depends on my trust.
Joseph was a young man with big dreams, really big dreams. They were so big they fuelled the fire of hatred from his own brothers, they were so big his father who adored him was taken aback by them. But he was foolish enough to believe his dreams would materialise. His journey was struck by numerous setbacks. He was five-to being murdered, was sold into slavery, then a prisoner after being falsely accused. Some of us would have stopped at slavery. Given up, accepted our fate, and lived the best possible slave life there was. But not Joseph.
We are told that God was with Joseph. Joseph maintained a healthy relationship with God, regardless the hostile environment. That’s where his strength was, in his God who he trusted to bring to fruition all that was promised. That’s how he made it from setback to setback without giving up. We lose the will power to keep on when our trust is in ourselves or others, because we will reach breaking point and others will tire and abandon ship. But not God. He’s a good companion to have for those lonely seasons of life when nothing seems to go as planned.
God is also of essence in such cases because setbacks don’t intimidate Him, He remains in control. Genesis 50:20 is one of my favourite verses (together with Romans 8:28 and Ephesians 1:11).
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”
Joseph acknowledges that God was in control the whole time and that His good intentions overruled his brother’s evil ones. This is where I should rest, in the fact that God knows, sees and is actively working things for my good, regardless of how bad they may seem at the moment. What I love most is that setbacks don’t change God’s mind, they don’t make Him altar His plan for my life. What God planned stands, what I go through or put myself through can’t thwart it.
I’ve noticed that it’s more bearable to deal with setbacks I didn’t contribute to like the sickness or death of a parent or financial setbacks that prohibit me from studying further. But when I interrupt my own life by making unwise (okay, foolish) decisions, it takes a lot to get back on top again. When I failed a grade or semester and got behind, when I had a child I didn’t plan for, when I got involved with someone wrong for me, when I was around people and places I shouldn’t have been…it takes a while then. Knowing it’s your fault that you are where you are is a tough thing to accept and work through, but it’s doable. David made such a mistake. He was at the wrong place at the wrong time and as a result ended up seeing things he shouldn’t have seen. He ended up sleeping with his neighbours married wife, getting her pregnant and having to kill the man and marrying her. On top of that, they lost the child. Where do you begin getting over all of that? Where do you starting rebuilding your life after you’ve made one mistake after another?
You start with God. David repented. Sure he had insane consequences to deal with afterwards but he got back up on his feet again. So it won’t be easy, but with God by your side, you’ll make it, you’ll make it to your desired destination.
So regardless of the nature of the setback, don’t let it stop you. Remember where you were headed, it wasn’t the prison was it? I’m sure it wasn’t the pit either. So if this is not where you were going, why did you stop?
A setback is defined as something that happens that delays or prevents a process from developing. A setback can be a problem you encounter, a mistake, a complication, a disappointment, an interruption, or a failure. Setbacks aren’t planned, but they happen anyway. But why? Well because the devil is an enemy of anything that’s good because good is what God is. He knows very well that every good gift is from God, so he makes it his job to interrupt all that is good.
Setbacks have the potential to completely halt (ruin) your life, but thing is, you determine the strength of each setback. They are only permanent if I let them be. Whether they only delay me or they completely prevent me is totally dependent on me. It all depends on my trust.
Joseph was a young man with big dreams, really big dreams. They were so big they fuelled the fire of hatred from his own brothers, they were so big his father who adored him was taken aback by them. But he was foolish enough to believe his dreams would materialise. His journey was struck by numerous setbacks. He was five-to being murdered, was sold into slavery, then a prisoner after being falsely accused. Some of us would have stopped at slavery. Given up, accepted our fate, and lived the best possible slave life there was. But not Joseph.
We are told that God was with Joseph. Joseph maintained a healthy relationship with God, regardless the hostile environment. That’s where his strength was, in his God who he trusted to bring to fruition all that was promised. That’s how he made it from setback to setback without giving up. We lose the will power to keep on when our trust is in ourselves or others, because we will reach breaking point and others will tire and abandon ship. But not God. He’s a good companion to have for those lonely seasons of life when nothing seems to go as planned.
God is also of essence in such cases because setbacks don’t intimidate Him, He remains in control. Genesis 50:20 is one of my favourite verses (together with Romans 8:28 and Ephesians 1:11).
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”
Joseph acknowledges that God was in control the whole time and that His good intentions overruled his brother’s evil ones. This is where I should rest, in the fact that God knows, sees and is actively working things for my good, regardless of how bad they may seem at the moment. What I love most is that setbacks don’t change God’s mind, they don’t make Him altar His plan for my life. What God planned stands, what I go through or put myself through can’t thwart it.
I’ve noticed that it’s more bearable to deal with setbacks I didn’t contribute to like the sickness or death of a parent or financial setbacks that prohibit me from studying further. But when I interrupt my own life by making unwise (okay, foolish) decisions, it takes a lot to get back on top again. When I failed a grade or semester and got behind, when I had a child I didn’t plan for, when I got involved with someone wrong for me, when I was around people and places I shouldn’t have been…it takes a while then. Knowing it’s your fault that you are where you are is a tough thing to accept and work through, but it’s doable. David made such a mistake. He was at the wrong place at the wrong time and as a result ended up seeing things he shouldn’t have seen. He ended up sleeping with his neighbours married wife, getting her pregnant and having to kill the man and marrying her. On top of that, they lost the child. Where do you begin getting over all of that? Where do you starting rebuilding your life after you’ve made one mistake after another?
You start with God. David repented. Sure he had insane consequences to deal with afterwards but he got back up on his feet again. So it won’t be easy, but with God by your side, you’ll make it, you’ll make it to your desired destination.
So regardless of the nature of the setback, don’t let it stop you. Remember where you were headed, it wasn’t the prison was it? I’m sure it wasn’t the pit either. So if this is not where you were going, why did you stop?
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