Daily Huddle - Wed Jul 15, 2020 Setbacks And Comebacks

Love you all, praying for you,
 
Have you ever experienced a setback?  Maybe a major project or effort, maybe something you’ve been waiting for or working on for hours or weeks or months, suddenly comes to a screeching halt.  And as with many setbacks, not only do you find yourself facing a complete do-over (what you worked so hard for and spent so much time on) that would be bad enough.  But now you find yourself having to spend even more effort, hours and money to mitigate the damage caused, just to get back to ground zero - square one – so you can begin to do all over again – what you already spent so much time and energy to do.  Kind of like a re-habber who builds an entire addition or extension only to be denied by the building inspector or zoning department.  Not only do they have to do it all over again, they have to first tear down what they just built, in order to start to build it again.  Few things I’ve found in life are more frustrating, discouraging, or disheartening than setbacks.  Setback – a check to progress, a defeat, a reversal.  It’s bad enough to delay progress, or halt progress, but a reversal? – like a wrong turn on the highway.  Hopefully you discover it soon, because however long it takes to discover, those same miles have to be driven back – before you can continue from the point you already were two hours ago!  No matter what your setback, and no matter what the reason – whether faulty materials, weather conditions, outside forces, or human error – you can either sit back or comeback.  One writer said – "no matter what happens – it could have been worse.  And it could get worse."  Be careful that your response – doesn’t further the reversal.  So how do you comeback from a setback?  Sometimes it’s good to step back when you face a setback.  There’s nothing you can do to quick-fix it.  Sometimes just taking a step back – helps you see things more clearly.  The second thing you should do is ask God what to do next.  What you think is best – is not always best.  Some people’s first reaction to mitigate setbacks, only compounds the issue, and extends the reversal.  God says if you lack wisdom, ask Him, and He will give it.  Ask Him what He has for you – in this setback?  Is there anything to learn?  Of course lessons learned can help for next time.  Doesn't help you right now, but whether doing a project like this again, or a completely different project, the experience of this hard lesson has crossover value to other endeavors that could encounter similar setbacks.  Perhaps of greatest importance, is not just what you do in the face of a setback, but how you do it.  Do you get angry and blame others?  Do you give up and not try again.  Do you blame God?  God knew this setback was coming, He could have saved you from it, but it’s not His job to always save you from every mistake, nor to shield you from every setback that is common to this experience called life.  Don't play the fool.  Proverbs 19:3 - A man's own folly leads to his ruin, yet his heart rages against the Lord.  Don't blame God or others for something that was your own doing.  Even if it wasn't your fault, a greater level of due diligence on your part could have neutralized or softened the setback if not avoided it altogether.   So what is the secret of the comeback, the turnaround – in face of setback?  What’s the secret weapon?  Where do you start?  Thanksgiving.  If you can learn to respond to every setback - with thanksgiving – that is the start of your comeback.  Effective people aren't immune to setbacks, they just respond better, they get back on track more quickly.  What delays them, doesn't derail them.  So there’s’ more work to do, you will work anyway.  That’s what God has called you to do.  He’s the one who provides, not you.  You don’t work for money you work for Him, He said he’ll never leave you nor forsake you.  What is He about to do – that will bring a testimony from this setback?   Look for the testimony that you overcome with!  God said in everything – give thanks for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.  There are multiple things to be thankful for -  far more than things to be discouraged about.  This isn't the head-in-the-sand ostrich strategy of not facing reality.   Yes, reversals carry loss on many levels.  It’s just that God has a testimony for you in this.  He’s the King of the comeback.  Most setbacks – a year from now, won't even be remembered, and the ones whose memory could try to remain for a lifetime, God has grace for it!  He turns things that the devil meant for evil – into good.  It’s who He is, it’s what He does.  Praying that you’ll start with thanksgiving.  It’s where the setback ends and the comeback begins.  Praying that you’ll focus on the blessing, not the burden, the testimony not the trial.  Praying that you will rejoice – even in the re-work, and that your thanksgiving and praise – will always be the testimony that will result in many more.  God even want’s you to be thankful and praise Him for the setback.  Many good things can come from this.  Give thanks first, Ask Him what to do next, and do it with the joy He gives.  This purpose of this setback is your comeback. 
 
Love you all,
dad