Have you ever worked on a project, and just before you finished lost everything? If so, what went through your mind when it happened? In life, we all face times where we simply have to roll up our sleeves and start over, and there are some things involved with going back to the drawing board.
“10Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”
What would you do to protect your project the second time around after losing something that took so long to make? Would making friends with the “SAVE” button be at the top of the list? Going back to the drawing board evokes a heightened sense of focus (a re-focusing). It means starting afresh. You begin to understand the process a little better and things you had not already thought of start to surface. In retrospect, the memory of what happened before can bring about one of three choice-driven results: a) move you backward; b) immobilize you; or c) propel you forward.
Moving backward – not to be confused with going back to the drawing board – indicates a counter-productive position. In context, moving backward is closing the door on possibilities and going back to the old ways of what has never worked. It means giving up completely on a dream, rendering oneself defeated, tucking your proverbial “tail” (as a scared puppy does) and running. When you do this, you forfeit all the favorable results that are just around the corner for you.
When a person becomes immobilized, his or her activity stops. The attitude of such a person is often one of being firmly positioned and “satisfied” with where he or she is, whether spiritually, physically, socially, financially, emotionally, intellectually, or by any other means. It can be a pleasant place, and can be the perfect place for you if you are there for a God-sanctioned, God-purposed reason, but what if you are at a rest area in life when you should really be moving? This is a ‘Selah’ moment indeed (one requiring reflection).
Moving forward means deciding that the past, present, or things to come will not have a negative impact on your progress (see Romans 8:38-39 for reference). When you have to begin again, and negative thoughts come, speak positively to yourself. Tell yourself just how good the outcome will be because of how well prepared you are, and because of how much you have learned in the process. Begin to look at things more optimistically (expecting a positive outcome), and be ready for new ideas to start flooding your mind. Ask God to heighten your sense of focus, and to grant you the wisdom to choose the absolute essential route to your success. Then, get moving!
The greatest measure a person can take to prevent a second mishap, and to get past the negative thoughts of past failures, is to place all concerns upon God (1 Peter 5:7). He wants you to grow into the person that you have been destined to become, but it will take some actions on your part. Maybe this is your second, third, or fourth time around (I will stop at fourth). My friend, you have a choice in the matter. Do not concern yourself with the “what-if” thought process. Just make up your mind that you will trust the process God has planned, and go back to the drawing board with faith, confidence, and assurance, because with God you WILL NOT need a “Plan B”. God bless you today, and every day!
Author, speaker, musician DEREK E. EURALES, Jr., loves to share his faith, motivation, and music. His book, Principles of Christian Living, has become a “must read” for believers of all ages. To order your copy, click here.