2:49 – Minor Setbacks

#faithbites #faithjourney setbacks

Have you ever heard the saying “One step forward and two steps back”? Most of us feel that way when in actuality it’s two steps forward and one step back. These little annoyances that are setting us back from where we want to be.

Maybe you were saving money for a trip and the car died. You were writing a paper and forgot to save it. Perhaps, like me, you were planning to go to work for the first day after surgery and couldn’t get your shoes on because of pain. You swore to not yell at your kids and you slipped again. These, I call minor setbacks are we are still moving forward.

You now know how to save money and had it to pay the car instead of going into debt. You did your research and can write the paper even better. Maybe, you stayed home and did much more work without distractions than being in the office. Could be that you are learning better how to hold your temper in the future. You have progressed. Two steps forward, one step back. You learned.

Scripture

• For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you – Isaiah 41:13
• But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. – Acts 9:!5

Reflection

I know I’m preaching to the choir when I say the Lord is on our side. When we take those two steps forward, he is with us. When we take that one step backward, he is holding our hand and is with us. We may not see the progress we are making, but we are moving forward.

Look at Saul who became Paul. He persecuted Christians and was a pretty terrible guy until the Lord said, this is who I’ve chosen. He will proclaim my name. Saul had many steps backward but he was progressing forward to serve the Lord.

It is hard to see the forward steps when we have these setbacks. Tonight, for the first time in three weeks, I took a look at my dissertation and presented in class. It was much clearer than I remembered, I saw what I was missing, and can move forward. That one step back felt massive, but I see it was a baby step to make much needed forward progress.

Charge

Are you feeling that your life is moving backwards? Maybe it feels like one step forward and 10 back. Take a look at what the setback actually is. Then try to put it into perspective on where you were before the setback and what you’ve learned since. This reflection, and yes, maybe it will take some time, can help you understand that it’s a baby step back and you are in a better state than you were before.

Prayer

Dear God, help us with our perception of what is a setback. Let us see them as stepping stones on your path. Give us strength to overcome the loss that is associated with taking a step back. Give us vision to see that we have actually moved much further ahead than we thought. Remind us that you are holding our hands as we walk in your light. In your name, Amen.