Part of my work involves helping people to change—to change themselves, their situation, or both. Some want to change their marriage, others their finances, some want to quit an addiction. They want to be a better person, to be able to enjoy their life more, or to successfully deal with a problem. We all need to learn how to do those things if we really want to succeed in life.
But I have observed one thing that defeats many people who are trying to change.
Setbacks.
The person comes to us with a problem; we listen, give him direction on what to do, and pray for him. The next thing you know is he comes back all happy and saying, “Pastor, it’s working like magic! My wife and I haven’t argued for week…” or “I closed a new contract today, it will really help me with those debts…” or “I haven’t felt like using drugs anymore.” And I am really happy to see his life changing.
But then, that same person might come back a few days later looking like they’ve just been beaten up in a UFC match. And I hear that the wife had him sleep in the couch the night before, or that his car broke down when he really didn’t need the extra expense, or that he took a puff at his friend’s pipe when he visited the other day.
Understand this: Changing your life is not like changing your shirt. Expect setbacks. You will make one step forward and two steps back for a while. It’s important you don’t beat yourself up over that.
What you need to do is pick yourself up, go back to where you left off, and start over. Change takes time. Change requires perseverance.
If you keep going, you will outlast the setbacks.
13 comments:
Olá, Bispo Renato,
Às vezes perguntamo-nos o porquê de determinadas situações e parece que as coisas não estão a resultar.
Não conseguimos ver mais à frente ou ter uma perspectiva mais abrangente da situação e focamo-nos só nos erros e nas dificuldades.
Obrigada pelas palavras de motivação.
A cada dificuldade ou erro irei lembrar-me: "um passo à frente, dois passos para trás".
Márcia,
Portugal
I rather would say that your faith will be tested! To see in fact if you really believe or it is just an emotion...
however NOONE likes to go backwards!!
Cheers old friend!!
Bispo Renato: I`m from Argentina, It`ve been in the church for 16 months. I`ve experimented a lot of changes, that`s for sure, but I find very difficult to change the small things that I don´t like about me: bad habits, bad feelings or bad thoughts and sometimes I can`t forgive people who hurt me.
I knew that from the beginning, That It wouldn`t be easy, But In Jesus I trust and I know He will rise me up every time that I fall.
lol
corrigindo o meu comentário acima: será melhor "dois passos à frente e um para trás"
:))
Márcia
Portugal
We all go through set backs things will always come against us trying to make us give up. But it's our detenination that pushes us our decision that we want this change is the only thing that keep us going even when so many things go against us.
Hello Bishop,
It is indeed very difficult to understand how come you are trying so hard to change your life but yet nothing is happening is like all you are doing is giving more steps back than forward.
I remember that before I understood the secrete to see a changed life, I would always bit myself and get very upset for not seeing my life changing and these feeling would lead me to give up! Until I learnt that for me to see the change I am looking for I have to first of all understand that change does not happen overnight and also that I must expect setbacks and not allow it to put me down but rather persevere until the change comes about.
Thank you
Iracelma
Indeed when you preserve you will make it, being down does not help in any how but it will be a blockage, rather carry on fighting and you will see the changes
Very helpful. Thank You.
Exactly Bishop change it takes time.This goes together with the message we received last week of King David he was anointed but he had to be trained before he can be one
Oh yes Bp Setbacks happen to test our Faith
Hello Bp Renato.
That's exactly what happens to people I help in church - I'm an assistant. They come to us, listen to us, look like they have understood the direction and you can clearly see that because their faces change immediately. They leave happy and even anxious for doing the things I told them to and then I pray and I fast for them. After some days, they come back with a disappointed face saying: "things aren't the same but without big changes" or a face of 'no change at all' because they just can't see beyond problems or overcome setbacks... If people CHALLENGED themselves to overcome the level they're always stuck in, they'd be successful and devil would have to be under their feet!
God bless you abundantly.
Laura Paola Sakamoto
Indaiatuba SP Brasil
The problem is that it is from that lack of perseverance that the "falling away" will come. I believe it is coming up, there is a high possibility that we start seeing signs of it soon. And because the situation people are in creates that "internal bleeding Bishop Celso was talking about, then they become lovers of themselves and they are not really coming out of what they wish to overcome.
I believe the key to overcome problems is always trust that God will make a way not mater what's happening in your life!
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