When was the last time YOU were disappointed? Yesterday? Last month? Two years ago? No matter how you answered that question, we know that there will ALWAYS be an answer. It’s true. All Christians will have periodic waves of disappointment crash their shore on this side of the Heavenly divide. As I wrote the other day in my FUNKADELIC blog, one of those waves sprayed ME this week. Only by the grace and power of Jesus can I say that it passed through VERY FAST.
Having my disappointment earlier this week flee so quickly was a HUGE blessing. And it was an answer to my persistent prayers for the power to keep shortening the time between the onset of my disappointment to my release of it to God to my praising him for rescuing me.
I know what God tells us to do with our disappointments. The challenge is embedding his promises into my heart and head and soul so I can call on them immediately when the dark curtain of disappointment starts unfolding in front of my life’s window.
Disappointment is really about our UNMET EXPECTATIONS that rob us of joy and the ability to be content with what we have. The problem with disappointment in life starts with our near-automatic default action to write a script for what will happen in our life.
We are not guaranteed (or entitled to) what we write in our scripts.
God knows our script before we write it—both the big, long-term story and the small, short-term steps on that journey.
Our feelings of disappointment are created when we long for something MORE THAN GOD. That makes prolonged disappointment a “faith problem.”
FIVE STEPS TO DITCH DISAPPOINTMENT
ONE: RELEASE
The first thing I do is put my REALITY hat on and accept that disappointment is a part of a believer’s life on earth. This is not about feeling defeated or giving up. It’s elevating God’s goodness. I tell God about my disappointment with honesty and transparency. And I share it with other people like I did to over one million followers earlier this week (Psalm 34:4).
TWO: GOD’S WORD
The next thing I do is dive into God’s Word to absorb scriptures that highlight his power and calm my disappointed soul (Jeremiah 29:11).
THREE: PRAY
I take my disappointment to Jesus through prayer and place 100% trust in him to change my heart and mind on whatever has caused me to become disappointed. I believe his promises (2 Corinthians 4:17).
FOUR: GROW
Once I have released my disappointment and absorbed God’s perspective, I start looking for how I can turn the experience into a growth lesson. How to use the disappointment’s pain for good. How to seek God quicker the next time disappointment pays me a visit (2 Peter 3:18).
FIVE: HOPE
Finally, I dial up a heaping dose of HOPE by realizing that my expectations may have been unmet, but I have God’s heavenly hope for eternity (1 Thessalonians 1:3).
I ask God to help me accept that the disappointments in life have a purpose far beyond that which I may ever be able to understand. To turn down MY EXPECTATIONS and have me accept HIS SCRIPT. To give me the strength and wisdom to seek him immediately when disappointment rears its head.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
What is your reaction when things don’t go as planned and disappointment pays you a visit? How quickly do you turn to God? How can you shorten the time between becoming disappointed and releasing that disappointment to God?
“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” Psalm 40:1–2
“Those who seek God will lack no good thing. If something is good, God will give it to you.” Psalm 34:10
