No matter who you are, where you live, what you do for a living, or how much money you have, you have experienced disappointment. For example:
- The job you wanted, but did not get.
- When your favorite team lost a game…by a point.
- The day the relationship you thought was so solid evaporated.
- The unexpected loss of a loved one, etc.
How should the believer in Christ face these disappointments? Let us look at God’s Word for an answer.
God has a history of comforting His people
In the Old Testament, God comforted His people with these words, “But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you” (Isaiah 43:1-2 ESV). God promises to protect, comfort, strengthen, and guide those who love Him; those with whom He has a personal relationship. This includes the believing Christian.
God is in control
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28 ESV). This verse is one of the most uplifting and positive verses in the New Testament. It is a promise from God, to those who are committed to Him, that nothing will happen in their lives that God is not controlling…nothing. Sometimes we may not understand God’s plan, but He is still in control and working everything out for our good and His glory. That is a promise from God’s Word.
Sometimes God allows disappointment in order to force us to trust Him more fully
The apostle Paul reveals to us that God will sometimes use circumstances to cause us to rely more fully on Him. “For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:8-9 ESV). Christians must not allow themselves to begin to think that God is bestowing His goodness on them because they deserve it. We must not think that somehow, God saved us through His power, but we will take it from here and live the Christian life in our power. God may use hardships and disappointments to help us realize that we cannot live holy lives apart from God. We are dependent on His love and His gracious enabling. Still, in all that transpires, He is working out Romans 8:28.
Sometimes God uses our reaction to disappointment as a witness to others
Trusting God in the tough times is a great witness to the world.
When people know that we serve the Lord, and they see us handling our difficulties and disappointments by trusting in God, they see that our faith is real. Trusting God in the tough times is a great witness to the world.
The apostle Paul knew this well. He had some sort of ailment or affliction with which he struggled that caused him great grief. Paul turned to the Lord and asked, three times, to be relieved of this ailment. What was God’s answer? “Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:8-10 ESV). What an incredible trust Paul had in the Lord! Many Christians believe that, because they are saved, life should have no hardships whatever. However, in this passage, Paul shatters that myth by showing us that even his prayers were not answered the way he wanted them answered. However, he also tells us that it is in times of our greatest weakness and trouble that God is most powerfully at work in our lives. Oh, that we could all be content with that attitude.
Jesus is our refuge in times of disappointment
The words of Jesus, and the words about Jesus, should be of great comfort to the believer who is experiencing disappointment. “In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 ESV). In this verse, Jesus is telling his disciples there is no doubt that they will experience toils and troubles in their lives. However, He also promises them that He is more powerful than anything they will face.
Several Bible passages tell us that we who are united with Jesus are overcomers with Him: “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5 ESV). Jesus puts our struggles into perspective when He says, “…for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (I John 4:4 ESV). The apostle Paul tells us that “…in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37 ESV).
Jesus also tells us that our relationship with Him will bring us inner peace, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27 ESV). The peace that Jesus promises is not the kind of peace the world offers; a peace based on ever-changing circumstances. The kind of peace Jesus gives is a deep, lasting, powerful peace that enables us to face any kind of hardship that may come along.
Conclusion
So, how should we face disappointments? We should understand that:
1. God comforts His people.
2. God is in control.
3. God sometimes uses our disappointments to turn our hearts toward Him
4. God sometimes uses our disappointments as a witness of His sufficiency when we trust Him in our times of need.
5. Jesus is our strength and our refuge in the good times and the bad. No one is more powerful than He is and no one loves us more than He does.
The apostle Paul gives us some divine encouragement with these words: “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…And be thankful” (Colossians 3:15 ESV).
Looking for some more Christian tips and advice?
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Source:
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version
“Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV)
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{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you for sharing..May the Lord truly bless you..I always read these link via facebook. Today the bible study was excelent..just wanted to thank you for blessing me and teaching me..what the Lord wants…see I lost my precious husband to brain cancer…it has been a very hard 2 years. I have 2 young sons who I am raising alone now..So I have to be their guide in all things. I love your teaching and once again thank you…God bless Julie Ardito
Julie,
Thank you for reading and commenting. I am so sorry for your loss. It sounds like you have got the right attitude, though. Whatever you face, trust that God will guide you and strengthen you. He promised that He would never leave us or forsake us. We can trust His promises to be true. God bless you.
Yours in Christ,
Robert
Excellent, uplifting article, Robert! I’ve had at least one time (and most likely more) where life went differently from what I prayed for, but the end result was greater than what I had in mind! God is truly great, and I try not to get disappointed when things go bad/differently, but instead I try to think of what God’s intention/purpose could be.
Robert (I like that name for some reason),
Thank you for reading and commenting. God is so good, isn’t he? So often, we think we know what’s best for us, but God sees the beginning from the end. If we will simply leave everything in His hands (of course, acting whenever He tells us to), He will guide us and strengthen us in all we do…and things will be so much better than we ever dreamed. God bless you, brother.
Yours in Christ,
Robert
I agree with Robert M. my friend. So good for we can all identify with disappointment but as to how to handle it, I had not looked at it these various ways. Outstanding, as always brother. Thank you.
Jack,
Thank you very much, but more than that, I pray that the article encouraged you and will continue to encourage no matter what you face in life. It can be difficult, but in the overall scheme of things, it is but a fleeting moment which cannot compare to the grace and glory we will experience with God. Love you, brother.
Yours in Christ,
Robert
Wonderful article Robert! After just concluding the 14 month storm I was in, I can say with out a doubt the Bible is 100% accurate. For God was with me the entire time and I came out of the storm much closer to Him than I have ever in my life!! I loved your response to Jack, ” It can be difficult, but in the overall scheme of things, it is but a fleeting moment which cannot compare to the grace and glory we will experience with God.” Amen brother! Well said!
Thank you, Derek,
You could probably add a lot to this article by way of life experience. I’m so glad God saw you through your difficulty. He is so good to us. That line you liked was actually my loose paraphrase of Paul’s words in Romans 8:18. The Word of God is so powerful and true. God bless you, brother.
Yours in Christ,
Robert
Thank you sir Robert, very helpful verses when we disappointed. Peace be with you.
Thank you, Kevin,
God’s Word is such comfort in difficult times, as well as the good times. God knows us better than we know ourselves. Trust in Him with all your heart (Proverbs 3:5-6). God bless you, Kevin.
Yours in Christ,
Robert
I have a question. How do we reply to those who blame God for all the tragedies in the world? For myself I do not, but when someone asked me this today, I couldnt find the write words, as this person was VERY upset. Thank you in advance, Linda L
Hello Linda. Robert, the author of this article, may have a much better answer than I do but I feel that when we rejected God to rule over us (in the Garden) and we decided to make our own ways more important than obedience to God, we made our own choices and our own way to live. To blame God for suffering is wrong since mankind is responsible above all. It is a fallen world and besides, society in general has kicked God out of the public schools, out of the public square and out of the government and out of their lives and then they asked, “Why did God allow this in a public school?” I say, “Don’t you remember, they have kicked God out.” Why do humans allow suffering while the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. As long as automatic weapons like the ones used in this senseless killing, these events will continue to occur. Why does the government permit mass killing weapons just because they are supposed to be protected under the right to bear arms. The Right to Bear Arms does not mean we should have access to AK-47′s!
Linda,
I concur with Jack’s answer wholeheartedly. God created a perfect world and gave it to us. He told us how to live in order to maintain that perfect world, but we rejected His rule for our own (I know that’s a simple explanation, but there’s more). If the people who are blaming God are not Christians, they will most likely not be able to understand why God would allow the tragedies that take place. However, the believer should know God well enough to know certain things about Him; that He loves us enough to send His Son to die on a cross for us, that He knows all things, and that His purposes are higher than our purposes. Remember that God can see the beginning from the end, He knows the consequences of every single action that takes place. Who knows what glory He will get out of even the worst tragedies? Our response is to trust Him, obey Him, and spread His love to others. In that way, we can be ministers of His grace to those who are hurting. God bless you, Linda. I pray this adequately answers your question (sometimes it’s difficult to cover everything in the comment section), but if not, you are surely welcome to ask followup questions.
Yours in Christ,
Robert
thank you sir Robert . it comforts me when I’m sad. God is in control …..
You are more than welcome. God is good, and He is in control. We can trust Him with everything.
Yours in Christ,
Robert