Disappointments

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
​(Jeremiah 29:11)

There are many weapons in the Devil’s arsenal that he uses daily against Christians. Fear, discouragement and jealousy are just a few. However, there is one weapon, extremely powerful, that is little spoken of. It’s the weapon of disappointment. It comes in many different  packages and can be a doorway that leads to depression and a feeling of hopelessness if it is not handled carefully.

Disappointment is part of life, however, we need to be careful that we don’t allow it to rule our lives and rob us of the joy and peace that God wants us to have.The devil uses disappointment as a weapon, God uses it as an opportunity for us to find Him more deeply. 

So, how do we deal with the disappointments in life that comes knocking at our door? One thing we must realise is that disappointment is not the end of the line for us. In Jeremiah 17:2-8 we read:

But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.  It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.

What an opportunity disappointment brings!! If you will turn to God and bring your hurt and disappointment to Him, your roots will go down deeper in Him. As this happens, you find that you are able to stand strong in the midst of more challenging trials. Disappointment will not destroy you, it will strengthen you. 

You can also take hope and courage as you remember what Philippians 1:6 says:
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Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  

​This assures you that God is still working in your life. Your disappointment does not put God’s plans on hold. He does not abandon you when disappointment comes crashing down. Actually, for His plans to be fulfilled, this disappointment is not only helpful, but necessary.

Disappointment also reveals to you just how deeply you want, or perhaps don’t want, God in your life. I once read a quote that said; “ I think that when disappointment comes, it sometimes feels like God is saying,”I thought you said I was all you needed.”” No comment!!

Finally, we must always remember that one person who understands disappointment is Jesus. Having spent His time and energy and emotion on giving out to people, he was deserted by many of his followers, betrayed by a close friend and was forsaken at his darkest hour.  Yet, it was in His darkest hour that the work of salvation was wrought for mankind. Jesus faced the culmination of His life’s work in the face of disappointment, yet we read, 

"For the joy set before him he endured the cross.” Hebrews 12:2 

As we follow in the footsteps of Jesus, we can shoulder our cross of disappointment and discover the joy that he has laid up in store for us beyond the suffering.

Pauline Anderson