Feeling Disappointed?

It's that feeling things should be better than they are. People should be better than they are. The church should do better. Circumstances should be better than they are. Finances should be better than they are. The government should do better. Relationships should be better than they are!

And you know what? You're right. Everything should be better than it is. It's no wonder I am exhausted and I bet that you are too. On the flip side, the disappointment that is exhausting and frustrating you, holds the potential for so much good. But we'll only see it as good if we trust the heart of the Father. Stay with me, and let's unpack something that Satan has viciously fought to keep us from knowing.

You see, disappointment can be a gift from God that feels nothing like a gift at all. It's unexpectedly sharp, and Our Lord can seem almost cruel as we unwrap it. Our fingers will bleed, our hearts will break, and our minds will be unsettled. We will feel tricked and very tempted to stop trusting that anything good can be found within. We will certainly want to question the one who allowed it to come our way.

BUT, disappointment isn't proof that God is withholding good things from us. Sometimes, it's His way of leading us Home. But to see this and properly understand what's really going on, we must take a step back and view it in the context of God's epic love story. The one in which He rescues and reconciles humanity to Himself.

Here's the hope; though we can't predict, control, or demand the outcome of our circumstances, we can know with great certainty that we will be okay. Better than okay. Better than normal. We will be victorious because Jesus is victorious. And victorious people go through disappointing situations and come out the other side.

1 Corinthians 15:57, "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ".

So dear sweet friend, rest assured, our God loves us and is with us even in our current battles. I know the pain and heartbreak surrounding us in a wicked world sometimes overshadows the Truth of God.

The bottom line is that disappointment is part of our daily life and it might not get easier. But, we can learn to process and talk about our disappointments with trusted friends, counsellors and Our Father in prayer.

If we don't open up a way to process our disappointments, we'll be tempted to let Satan rewrite God's love story as a negative narrative leaving us feeling epically hopeless and more than slightly suspicious of the good and prosperous plans (Jeremiah 29:11) our Loving Creator has for us.

He really does have EVERYTHING worked out. And His plans are good even when we don't feel good. He can help you win the battle between holding out your faith and wrestling your feelings when things don't go as you hoped.

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28        

Relates to another article you may be interested in: The Mystery of Human Suffering.