dealing with disappointment

What expectations do you have for your life? I’m sure a lot of those plans have been redirected in the last few months…maybe in the past week. So, what do we do with these emotions? Is it ok to feel disappointed? How do I trust the Lord through sadness and frustration?

Have you ever just sat down to read the Bible? I mean without expectations or a timeline or routine. Sometimes I get caught up in reading through a book of the Bible at a 1 chapter/night pace and filling up one or two pages of my journal afterward. In doing this, I think we begin to lose an awe and appreciation for God’s Word. Sometime today, I’d encourage you to intentionally carve out time to read a Psalm of your choice. The language is so colorful and the emotions are raw. Depending on the season of life/ your circumstances in a day, it’s not difficult to find a relatable passage in the Bible. One emotion I think we’ve all felt over the past few months is disappointment.

Before you read on, take a second to answer these 3 questions::

1— What are my expectations for life ?? 2— Which of my plans have been redirected and how so ??

3— What do I do with my emotions ??

A second ago, I mentioned that the language present in the Psalms is so colorful and the emotions conveyed are so genuine. The Lord uses David’s authenticity in order for you and I to grow closer to the Lord thousands of years later. This is so interesting to me because so often we are tempted to conceal our weaknesses. If the devil’s worst nightmare is watching the kingdom of heaven expand, then this strategy is extremely efficient. 2 Corinthians 12:9 states that Christ’s power is made perfect in our times of weakness. Instead of obscuring our weaknesses, these are the very things we should take pride in, in order that Christ’s glory would shine all the more brightly (2 Cor 11:30). These truths combined establish the fact that our disappointments can be transformed into a platform for exalting the name of Jesus Christ.

Unsure of HOW this can happen, especially in your own life? Read on !!

Psalm 38:8-9 I am feeble and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart. O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you.”

I’m not sure if y’all knew what tumult meant, but I didn’t! It actually means confusion/commotion/uproar but my favorite synonym is disturbance. I KNOW we’ve all felt that— a disturbance of the heart. Sometimes we need the foundation of our heart to be shaken up a bit. Each morning, I wake up with intentions to build my house on the rock, but sometimes get distracted building little sandcastles. But notice what David does with the ruckus within his heart. First, he acknowledges that nothing is hidden from the Lord, and we can pick up on an underlying tone of gratitude. A thankful spirit and pain can coexist in the life of a believer because our God responds immediately in times of trouble. He sees our troubles, tunes in, identifies our needs, and draws near. So often, we keep our eyes peeled for visible/tangible gifts, but we fail to recognize the incomparable, irreplaceable, & unfathomably faithful power within his presence. In the times of our worst pain, He is compelled to draw near out of His great love.

Psalm 94:19 When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.

Did you catch that? Consolation from the Lord is the only remedy to a hurting heart. Personally, I tend to run to friends or family when something weighs heavy on my heart. At my home church, our pastor consistently reminded us that running to Christ should be our first response, never a last resort. Will you continue pruning back the problems in your life or will you pull it out by the root once and for all? Will you keep sipping on what the world has to offer or will you quench your thirst with the all-satisfying Living Water? It comes down to this: will we choose Him or this world?

Psalm 25:14-15 The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant. My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for he will pluck my feet out of the net.

Psalm 31:19-20 Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind! In the cover of your presence you hide them from the plots of men; you store them in your shelter from the strife of tongues.

Friendship. Disappointment commonly leads to loneliness. In times of disappointment, there’s nothing more desirable than friendship, and there’s none more faithful than the Father’s. James 4:8 talks about the Lord drawing near to us. If I were to define “drawing near,” I would describe it as an intimacy initiated without any invitation. This is what friendship with the Lord looks like. Then we see his goodness. It’s been stored up for us and is working on behalf of the saints even now. This goodness is manifested in the way he protects us. It amazes me that the Lord does so much for us 1— without us knowing/asking & 2— without us doing the slightest thing to deserve it. That reality leaves me in awe every single time. I am SO unworthy yet the Father’s grace overwhelms my circumstances time and time again.

The point—We must learn to censor emotions & temperaments through the Spirit rather than our flesh. This is what it means to prioritize the pursuit of holiness over our desire for healing, pleasure, & stability.