Setbacks Happen!
Early in my faith walk, I would be talking to people, and I would ask them “How are you doing?” I was always so surprised that the answer they would give me was “I’m doing great!” I rarely had anyone honestly say to me that they were having struggles or experiencing setbacks. I would often think “Why am I the only one facing setbacks?”
As a young Christian I thought that I was missing it, failing in my faith, and that I was doing something wrong. I later found out that most of those people were not being transparent or honest with me.
The truth is every single person has setbacks.
I have found that the more you try to do for God, the more resistance you will face. But remind yourself of this perspective:
"You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people."
God can work a setback into a setup for greater success and influence.
Some challenges are caused by our own mistakes. In this case, the goal would be to learn from them and not repeat them. Some challenges happen from external circumstances. It could be a loss of a family member, sickness, financial crisis, or a pandemic. It is important to remember that some things are just out of our control.
So, the fact is that setbacks will happen. The better question is not “if” they will happen, but how will we let them affect us?
I have faced many setbacks in my business and in life. There are principles that we can apply that will:
- shorten the duration of our setback
- give us the right perspective during a setback
- give us a shot at a comeback.
I want to let you know that you are okay, and it is going to be okay. I want you to not feel like I did as a new Christian, that something was wrong with me.
Guess Who? Case Study
Can you guess which NFL player this is from these statistics?
- First pass in college was intercepted for a pick 6
- Thrown over 200 Interceptions
- Lost 3 Super Bowl Championships
- Torn ACL and MCL in left knee forced to miss rest of the season
- Drafted in 2nd to last round
Yes, you guessed it – The greatest of all time – Tom Brady. These setbacks are only part of the story. He is also the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards, touchdowns, attempts and completions, not to mention the seven Super Bowl championships. Tom Brady has shown that despite challenges, setbacks, and obstacles; it is still possible to win, outperform and thrive. His perspective and approach have enabled him to succeed at the highest level in his field. Do not give up – stay in the game!
“If you’re going through hell, keep going.”
