On The Daniel Plan you cannot fail—because you start it as a 40-day journey and then get to see changes gradually unfold over your lifetime. You get better … your momentum builds momentum. You may have a slipup, but you continue moving forward.
Setbacks and comebacks are part of the journey, and graciousness is woven through both.
There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. That means God will never condemn you. He wants you to succeed! He’s walking with you every step of the way and is your ultimate source of inspiration and encouragement. When you make a mistake, just make a U-turn.
Do you have a GPS device on your phone or in your car? When you make a wrong turn, the GPS doesn’t call you an idiot. It just tells you where to make the next legal U-turn. If you pay attention to your mistakes, such as that you went too long between meals, didn’t sleep, or failed to plan, these mistakes can be your best teachers. Very soon you find yourself in a new place, where you have dramatically improved both your brain and your body.
God uses failure to educate us. Mistakes are simply learning experiences, and some things we learn only through failure. (So some of us are highly educated!)
Your setbacks can even reaffirm your faith. It may surprise you to know that admitting your hopelessness to God can be a statement of faith. King David said, “I believed in you, so I said, ‘I am deeply troubled, Lord.’ In my anxiety, I cried out to you” (Psalm 116:10-11 nlt).
David’s frankness actually reveals a deep faith: First, he believed in God. Second, he believed God would listen to his prayer. Third, he believed God would let him say how he felt and would still love him.
Failure can also be motivational. A lot of times we change, not when we see the light, but when we feel the heat. When you fail, it’s often an opportunity to take a different direction.
Regardless of your circumstances and how you feel, focus on who God is—his unchanging nature. Remind yourself what you know to be eternally true about God: He is good, he loves me, he is for me. He knows my struggles and my circumstances, and I know he has a good plan for my life.
Today’s Steps:
- – Ask a buddy how he or she makes U-turns and what helps them get back on track.
- – Journal about one setback, what you learned, and how you can make a U-turn and continue to make progress
