Drawing the right conclusions from setbacks and failures…..

How do you respond when faced with a setback? How do you respond to failure?

If you are not careful you can draw the wrong conclusions from them. I am much better at this now,

but there was a time I used to draw the wrong conclusions a lot. The doubts caused by the failures and setbacks

wreaked havoc in me. The obvious response was to project all those negative emotions to the rest of my

life which was downright destructive.

 

There is a way to respond to setbacks and failures. Tearing yourself down because you failed is not the

way. It’s important to see failures and setbacks as “isolated incidents” Don’t let the doubts and other

negative emotions bleed into the rest of your life. You can grow after a fall, after a setback but make sure that’s

what’s happening. I am reminded of a quote that perfectly portrays what

I am talking about;

 

“Giving up on your goal because of one setback is like slashing your three other tires because you

got a flat.” – author unknown 

 

That is so true. We need to learn to draw the right conclusions from our setbacks. A setback doesn’t mean

we are failures. We failed yes, but we can get back up. We have another chance to try again.

Don’t let your setbacks and failures define what your tomorrow will be like. Don’t let them define what your

life will be like.

Remember to view them as “isolated incidents”. The Lord will lift you up when you fall.

He is more than able to turn around any situation no matter how bad. Look to Him when

faced with setbacks. Call on Him when you fall.

Bless you friends…..

 

Rolain

 

Be deliberate about what you think on daily.

What are you thinking about every day? Have you thought about what you think about lately?

I had to train myself with my thoughts. It’s crazy how easy it is to let your mind wander

to thoughts of defeat and hopelessness.

Just last week I was wrestling with thoughts of inadequacy. Someone said something to me and I

had to catch myself in the moment. I was not about to accept the words that were spoken to me.

I was not about to let that word take root in me.

 

You need to know the enemy is not taking a back seat when it comes to

your thoughts. He is trying to get you to think a certain way, in a way that is destructive. He is not waiting

for you to think negatively. He is being proactive in affecting the way you think.

So must we take a back seat then when it comes to our thoughts? No!

We need to be vigilant and proactive.

 

There are so many opportunities to think negatively these days. We need to be vigilant when it comes

to guarding our minds. Let’s look at what the word says,

 

“For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, 

whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and 

gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh

and take account of these things [fix your minds on them]. 

Philippians 4:8

 

Let’s take this word to heart. This is our offensive attack against what the enemy is trying to do.

If we are going to protect ourselves against the world’s infiltration we need to be proactive about what we

think about. Like I said before, there is so much opportunity to think negatively about our lives and

everything going on around us. Let’s be deliberate about our thoughts. Have a plan!

 

ACT ON IT: Right down ten things (using the Philippians 4 model) that you can think about on a daily basis.

What do you think about when you think about your life? 

Write down three things you feel YAH has spoken to you about concerning your life. 

 

Bless you friends

 

Rolain

Speak to build.

 

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

“Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil

word nor unwholesome or worthless talk

[ever] come out of your mouth, but only 

such [speech] as is good and beneficial

to the spiritual progress of others, as is 

fitting to the need and the occasion, that

it may be a blessing and give grace (God’s

favor) to those who hear it.  Ephesians 4:29

 

The word is clear, crystal clear on what

we are supposed to be speaking. What are

you speaking today?

Are your words wholesome and beneficial?

This is a challenge for us all……!

May we learn to release life with the words we

speak.

In a moment of anger today I spoke bad about

someone and that was not the right thing to do.

After reading the scripture after the incident I

realized something, there is no situation that will

ever warrant a bad word being spoken!

No matter how bad things get I am to speak life!

Yes, I can confront and deal with what ever is

happening but it has to be done in the right way.

Outside of that, I am to honor God with the words I

speak.

 

Rolain