SETBACK

And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

A dictionary definition of the word “setback” is: “something that reverses or delays the progress of somebody or something.” No person, regardless of their spiritual composition, is exempt from the trials and tribulations, monumental or mundane, which daily come our way. Delays and/or reversals are a part of life. Hiding your head in the sand, trying to wish them away or attempting numb them from remembrance…will not defeat them. They must be faced if we are to move forward. Setbacks are to be acknowledged, mused upon, prayed over and thought through. Afterwards, right and proper action must take place.

I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

There are numerous causes for delays and/or reversals in our lives. God sends them to chastise us; our enemies, to discourage us; the devil, to defeat us. The good news is that a setback does not mean you cannot comeback. There are times when one step backward can take us two steps forward. I know it sounds contradictory, but sometimes presumably lost ground can propel us forward. The story of the prodigal son attests to this fact.

But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

Wow! The burden became a barbeque. The misery became merriment. The setback became a sumptuous meal. That which was lost…is found.

The prodigal son’s one step backward was: he wasted his substance with riotous living. His two steps forward were: I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee.

Although it may be both embarrassing and humbling to experience a setback; it is always possible to emerge from any delay and/or reversal and become all the wiser.