From Setback to Comeback – Part 1
It was going to be our fifth annual spring hiking trip. For months, my husband and I had been eating healthy foods, working out our legs by climbing hills, and increasing our walking distance to develop endurance. We were so excited for our Memorial Day weekend excursion to Yosemite National Park.
But as the date got closer, Yosemite’s mountain peaks remained covered in snow. We had no choice but to cancel our trip since many of the trails we intended to hike remained closed to the public.
I was frustrated and extremely disappointed. What a setback!
We’ve all experienced delays, faced interruptions, encountered postponements, and suffered disappointment. Setbacks are a part of life. In fact, Jesus told us to expect trials and tribulation: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Yet every setback we experience is a battle we can ask God to help us win.
We have a choice: Will we allow our setbacks to define us? Or will we accept the setback as an opportunity to let God help us leverage it into a comeback?
Over the next three weeks, we’re going to talk about how we can change a setback into a comeback through looking at the story of the mighty warrior Joshua. The first step towards changing a setback into a comeback is to be mindful.
Be Mindful – Examine or pay attention to areas of your life that you are prone to neglect.
We’re all familiar with the battles Joshua won, especially the supernatural victory in conquering Jericho. Joshua 6:27 says “So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.” God clearly gave Joshua and Israel huge favor in the victory at Jericho. Now, Israel seems to be unstoppable.
God commanded Joshua and the people to destroy everything in Jericho. He wanted Israel to be set apart from other nations through their unquestioning obedience to His commands—this meant not taking any of the spoils from their battles. However, Achan ignored this command, and his disobedience affected all of Israel. Sin always has a ripple effect. In this circumstance, one man’s sin, the sin of Achan, impacted the whole community.
This was a major setback for Israel.
The underlying problem was neglect. Achan was disobedient by neglecting to do what God commanded. But not only was Achan careless, so was Joshua. Joshua, the incredible leader, had led Israel from the Jordan, to victory against five kings of Canaan, then settled the tribes in the New World.
Until this point, Joshua had been very intentional, setting aside time to seek the Lord. Before crossing the Jordan, he took three days to prepare emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Before conquering Jericho, the new generation of Israel renewed their covenant with God, and Joshua spent time face down before the presence of the Lord.
Now, Joshua’s victories made him vulnerable: he became overconfident. He thought he could handle things in his own strength.
For the next battle, Joshua started with a familiar strategy: he sent spies into Ai. This was the same strategy he used in conquering Jericho, and the same strategy that his mentor, Moses had used forty years before.
But every battle needs fresh anointing. Mark Batterson in his book, Not Safe, says, “The anointing is the difference between what you can do and what God can do. It's the difference between the temporal and the eternal. It's the difference between success and failure.” Joshua had neglected this vital step.
The spies were self-confident, inflated with pride at the victory of Jericho. They saw Ai as a soft target. “The people of Ai are few,” they said. They sized them up and thought they could easily take them. Rather than depending on God, these spies made human assumptions. But there is a dramatic difference between faith and presumption. Faith is not just believing; it’s hearing the word of God and acting on that.
Joshua also neglected prayer and consecration. Instead of devoting himself and the people to God, he went with the advice of the spies. If Joshua had taken the time to seek God, it wouldn't have taken very long to discover that God was displeased with Israel and that there was sin in the camp.
One of the biggest setbacks in our lives can be in the area of neglect. Neglect is defined as “a lack of attention to one’s thoughts and deeds, or a failure to give adequate thought to the consequences of one’s actions, often leading to disturbing results.” It’s essential for us to intentionally choose to pay attention to areas we are prone to neglect and to set aside regular time to meet with the Lord. This guards us from being deceived or living with unconfessed sin.
For Joshua and the Israelites, the results were not just disturbing; they were devasting. You can read about it in Joshua 7:4-6, but in short, the men of Ai defeated Israel, the Israelites became paralyzed in fear, and Joshua and the elders went into grief and mourning, tearing their clothes and sprinkling dust on their heads.
So, what happens when we neglect things in our life like our relationships, our finances, or our walk with the Lord? We often end up in regret. But God has an answer for both our neglect and our regret.
To be continued next week…
Neil T. Anderson is the founder of Freedom in Christ Ministries. He began the ministry in 1989 and continues to spread the message of freedom to this day.