DEALING WITH DISAPPOINTMENTS
Expectation plus reality often times results to disappointment. Disappointments if not address in the proper perspective will result in negativity and pessimism. Christians are not exempted on this. And worse we may become critics of God as we can blame Him for inaction or being unfair in our time of distress.
The writer of psalms boldly declared:
Psa 34:8 Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
Psa 22:5 They cried to You and were delivered; they trusted in, leaned on, and confidently relied on You, and were not ashamed or confounded or disappointed.
HATCHING SPOTS OF DISAPPOINTMENT
1. High expectation
Joseph expects a virgin wife and found Mary pregnant. You can just imagine the pain and disappointment in Joseph heart. But in a dream, God told Daniel about His plan redemption plan for mankind. There are millions of gentlemen in Israel during that time and what an honor for Joseph to be chosen as the care taker of God’s only Son. Sometimes our high expectation disappointed us only to find out later that God has a better plan.
2. Wrong Motives
Judas joined the band wagon of Jesus expecting him to build an earthly kingdom. In the corner of his mind is a thought that he will become somebody once Jesus becomes king. But later he realized that Jesus has no plan to build an earthly kingdom. Instead, Jesus is always talking about heavenly kingdom which in his limited understanding he cannot just understand. In the end, his wrong motives disappointed him that led him to his grave mistake of treachery and defection
4. Limited perception
Disciples did not understand why Jesus the Messiah should be crucified. In their limited understanding, crucifixion means defeat. Little did they know that it is part of God’s plan so that Jesus can redeem the world from the slavery of sin. Our limited perception disappointed us many times. But like the crucified savior, source of our disappointment could become our own redemption and blessing if we will just hang on and believe that God is in control. He has a plan and purpose even on our sufferings.
5. Mistaken priority
People often times looks for comfort and material blessings but God is more concerned in our character development. We hate testing and spiritual exercises to strengthen our faith. But God like an old Roman warrior prefers a broken horse for battle. God has different priority. He has no use of an untamed soul so he chooses to train us first through painful and hard experiences. We may never understand God’s way in time, but what we have to do is to cling and hold His hands.
6. False reliance
Connections, jobs, education and money are like sands. They are here at least for now. But the problem is that it is very easy to put our trust on these things instead of trusting on God. Our false reliance often times disappoints us.
HOW TO BE RESILIENT IN TIME OF DISAPPOINTMENTS
1. Stay faithful - Do the right thing not for the reward but because it is the right thing to do.
When facing the greatest trials and hardship of his life, Job hold his ground of faith and declared his statement of faithfulness to God no matter what happened. He said: Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him… Job 13:15
When choosing between faith and Death, three Hebrew gentlemen by the name of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king:
If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. Dan 3:17-18
We all find it very easy to compromise when danger comes, but to remain faithful is to invite God’s attention. God will never abandon a faithful servant.
2. Build Your Character – God’s priority is not our happiness but our character development
Rom 5:3-5 “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”
3. Get the right support group but look on God for the solution
Psa 118:8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.
Psa 118:9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.
4. Find your ultimate fulfillment and satisfaction in your relationship with God
Heb 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
Hab 3:17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,
Hab 3:18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
5. Review your life’s perspective
2Co 4:17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
2Co 4:18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
ARE YOU DISAPPOINTED?
I feel the same until I read the following...
1. Albert Einstein failed his college entrance exam. Walt Disney was fired from his first media job. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team.
2. "The lotus flower blooms most beautifully from the deepest and thickest mud,”
3. A precious pearl was formed when an irritating grain of sand gets inside the oyster shell
4. Although the bamboo is the fastest-growing plant on Earth, it looks lazy at first because it has no branches…just lots of deep and wide roots. Once its roots take hold, though, bamboo is capable of surging as fast as 48 inches in 24 hours. So are we … if we grow strong roots.
5. Consider how the caterpillar transformed into a beautiful butterfly.
If you have been blessed, encouraged or inspired by this sermon then it’s your turn to be an encouragement too. You can do it by sending email to this contributor at spy2rb@yahoo.com or post comment on the discussion box below.
