There are seasons of life where we have to wait on the Lord for a long period of time before we see our prayers or desires come to fruition. For me, I am still praying for the salvation of family members, freedom from debt, and of course, some hard rock abs! But when disappointment accompanies us in life’s waiting room, it can be a hard place to sit. If we hold too tightly to our own expectations, we could lose sight of GOD and only see empty rooms and closed doors. Our hearts can become heavy with the void instead of full of hope in Him - leading to feelings of great disappointment.
You will always be disappointed when your desires and expectations are outside of God’s will for your life.
Perhaps, you have been in a place of disappointment. There is something you are longing for, there’s a character trait you are hoping to develop, or a sin pattern you are wanting to break; and the lack of those desires has brought you into despair, displeasure, or the mourning of hopes. It has brought you into a deep moment of unbelief. Your foundation is no longer God’s truth, but instead, you're are standing in unbelief that He will do it.
Disappointment is an indicator that we are upset or sad by the "nonfulfillment of one's hopes or expectations". When we allow disappointment to operate more as a reaction than an emotional-alarm-detector, it can easily become an endless stream of deception.
Disappointment deceives us when any one of these six statements below becomes our truth:
Something or someone can make us happier than God. #idolatry
We cannot trust God’s timing. #impatience
We can do it better than God. #control
We aren’t getting all we need from God. #lack
We think we deserve more than what God has already given us. #entitlement
Our reality in this world is more important that eternity in heaven. #pride
I have not perfected the ability to continuously align my beliefs and thoughts to God 100% of the time, 24/7, or 365 days of the year. I have fallen short, too. But thankfully, I have been able to recognize the enemy’s influence and my own participation in these deceptive thoughts. As a result, the Lord revealed to me key truths that helped me to remove the distraction of disappointment.
Key Truths to Remove the Distraction of Disappointment
1. IT IS NOT ABOUT YOU. This point may be the hardest to swallow, so I’ll put it first. It’s not about you, my friend. When your vision is blurred by pain, it can be hard to see or remember your purpose. You were selected for a purpose, a mission, and an assignment to impact others. God has chosen you to share the gospel and draw people closer to Him. So, get over yourself! It’s not about you. The belief that it’s somehow all about you is a distraction from the very reason God has you on this earth. Focusing too much on your own unanswered prayers will forfeit the role you play in God answering someone else’s holy petition. I urge you to use your time of waiting to equip, empower, and encourage others through prayer, intercession, and productivity. Say it with me, “It’s not about me.”
2. YOU LACK NOTHING. Disappointment arises when we feel God is withholding something from us; feeling as though we are missing out of something or we don’t have enough. But Matthew 6:30-33 says that if He clothes the grass of the field, will He not clothe you? His child, the very thing He created with His hands and breath. He tells us that we are worth more than the sparrows. So, we should not worry because He knows what we need! He is our provision. We must seek first his kingdom and his righteousness (Matthew 6:33). God is sufficient and what you are longing for cannot, and will not, satisfy you to the breadth and depth and magnitude God alone can. Seek Him always!
3. GOD’S FAITHFULNESS NEVER FAILS. I encourage you to allow moments of disappointment or despair to drive you into the arms of our Heavenly Father. Find your answers in His holy word; not in what you cannot see. For faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. God is forever faithful! He is the same God He was yesterday, is today, and will be forevermore. He is sovereign and His love for us is everlasting. You have to make the choice to believe God is good even in the bad. Even Job from the bible, in all His despair, remained faithful to the Lord. In Job chapter 2, verse 10, Job asked this vital question: “Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?”
The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see.
Hebrews 11:1 (MSG)
When your foundation is in Him, you will remain hopeful in His promises, His timing, His desires, and His truth. His ways are far better than our own. He has not given up on you, so don’t give up on Him! Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. I believe with my whole heart that God is up to something amazing in your life. Sit tight in the waiting and watch His plans unfold.
Written by: Ashley K. Stovall
