Dealing with Disappointment How did the people in the Bible and How do we deal with Disappointment?
Philippians 4:11, Not that I speek in respect of want, for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am , therewith to be content. David and Saul and many others of the Old Testiment when faced with disappointment, rent their clothes and put on sack cloth an dashes, in repentance to God for not only their sins but for the sins of the people of Isreal. They cryed and wept bitterly, prayed and made sacrifices. What is disappointment, Strongs Dictionary of Bible words, says it, to frustrate, to disasteem, to cease, neutralize. So what is it in our life? Sometimes its when we think that something is going to happen and it doesnt.Its when you dont get the promotion that youve been waiting for, or the loan from the bank falls throu or when you allways wanted to do something and the oppertunity comes and everything looks great and you antisipation is at an all time high and suddenly something happens. Your back where you started from. Disappointment leads to depression and depression leads to lack of confidence and lack of confidence leads to low self esteam. How did Paul deal with this spirit, and yes ,its a spirit. If one action leads to another which brings torment, then its a spirit. Paul, after all that He had to go throu, finally realised that the only way to defeat this spirit, was to be content with whatsoever state that He was in. Ive been disappointed many times in my life, promotions that should have come to me was given to others that had less experience, bank loans, that should have went good, were denighed, prayers that I knew that would be answered, wernt. But we can always go to scripture and find the answers. Philippians 4:6, Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiveing let your request be made known to God. This doesnt mean that He will grant your request, but He will know your intent. Remember that sometimes the best answer from God on your prayers are NO. Verse 4 tells us to rejoice, in everything, rejoice. This is a good way to get rid of that disappointing spirit. Your not the first person that has had prayers not answered or been disappointed about how life has treated you. Weve all been throu it, and we have all survived. Disappointment is one of the bigest causes of suscide in the world, because it leads to other things. We hafe to get a handle upon it and rebuke it, before it starts to grow. At times it will also cause you to stop going to church. When disappointment sets in, we start feeling sorry for ourselves and then we want the world to have a pitty party for us. I refuse to have these spirits in my life and home. I tell others that have this spirit that visit me, I can help you but Im not going to join in the pitty party that this spirit wants. We then procede to cast it out and then work on the rest. Did Jesus ever feel disappointment? Yes, but he knew how to deal with it. When the deciples couldnt cast out a deamon from a child, Jesus rebuked them, How much longer must I suffer you. Bring the child to me. He rebuked the spirit and finished the work. And that is what we are supposed to do. Jesus has given us all an example of all sistuations and the means to deal with them. Lets look at Paul again as an example. Phil.cpt 4:12, I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound, every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. Powerful statement, wasnt it? But we hafe to, as christians, be able and willing to, share in the need of another that has a spirit of disappointment, to help bear one anothers burdens. To be willing to say, Ive been there and know what your going thru, lets sit down and talk about it. Can you do that? I believe that you can. Lets get rid of disappointment as quickly as we can before it gets rid of us. ars.
