Overcoming Setbacks
It's easy to blame others, cry, or complain when things don't work out the way we thought they were going to or should have worked out. Some of us think we need to pray more, seek God, ask for counsel, or simply quit when something doesn't go our way. But Joshua gives us a better way of dealing with setbacks.
1. When faced with a setback, stop praying and complaining. Get up and make things right. God told Joshua to get up off the floor, stop praying and complaining, and go out and fix things. Complaining may make us feel better and possibly absolve us from blame, but it can never bring us to victory.
2. Revisit your vision, your promise, and/or the good in life that you want to accomplish. God promised the Israelites a land, a home. He told Joshua he would be successful if he (Joshua) did what God told him to do. Joshua was ready to go back to the other side of the river and settle for less than the promise. Don't settle for less. Get a firm grasp on the good you want to accomplish and the good God has promised you. revisit it often.
3. Remember what God has already done in this regard. Recall the work and effort that you have contributed. Revisit the key makers of success, the memorials of past work, and then move forward. God had no intention of ending the quest at Ai. Joshua needed to see the memorial stones they had placed in a pile after they crossed the Jordan River. Maybe it was just in his own mind and memory, but he needed to remember what good God had already done. You have already accomplished good in the world. You are working toward a good objective. Remember what God has done on your behalf and what you have already come through. the future looks amazing!
4. Recommit to the activities that bring success, the daily or weekly rituals that focus your work, effort, and creativity. Eliminate the distractions and commit to doing what is necessary to achieve your goal. Success comes in small steps. Jericho didn't surrender on the first day. The Israelites had to march around the city once a day for six days and then seven times the seventh day.
5. Go forward and win another victory. The game isn't won on the first play. The Israelites didn't take the promised land when the walls of Jericho fell. Just win the next play, the next challenge, or the next opportunity. Do what you have prepared yourself to do.
You may not be perfect and you may not have a perfect plan. You may not execute your plan perfectly or get the results you were hoping for or expecting. Don't let setbacks stop you from cleaning up your mistakes and moving forward! Find your good!