The Flipside of Disappointment
Experiencing disappointment is not easy; and some of us know this more than others. It’s hard to not get the promotion, to be rejected for the part of the lion in the Wizard of Oz because you are girl; or fail at marriage. The good news is that there is a flipside of disappointment.
If you reflect for a moment over your disappointments what lessons from them did you learn? What are you more aware of than you were before? What hot stove moments did you have that you now know you won’t ever again?
For me personally most of my life was disappointment and loss. Being abandoned led to rejection, rejection led to low-self-esteem and low-self-esteem simply led to self-hatred which only led to self-mutilation; and that only led further in the wrong direction- a direction further from God and of course more disappointment. And this was all by age 15 mind you. It seemed that no matter what I did I was just living at the cul-de-sac of Disappointment Drive. But because of God’s grace and the fact that His Word always is true He carried me through all of those disappointing times. He made the way and He will for you too. And now all those disappointments are used because nothing is not of use by God. Now that’s recycling!
The past and present is full of disappointments it’s simply a matter of perspective. What you see in those disappointments will make or break your tomorrow. Sure it’s disappointing when your favorite team loses to the team that clearly wasn’t better, when your children don’t get accepted to NYU; and when the hard work at the gym doesn’t produce the weight loss you expected. It’s just part of the life but you see in the Bible it tells us “To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.” (Rev 3:21)
It’s clear that while disappointments do come; there is something beyond the disappointment that is the reward. Sure it’s hard to see anything but pain in the midst of the pain yet rest assured beyond it life isn’t over. I tell you again in the midst of disappointment life isn’t over. If this were the case I would have been gone decades ago; and you too.
The lessons we learn through and from our disappointments only come when we stop and look at them. I can surely attest to you that if I had no disappointments I would have overcome nothing; and who has testimony if overcoming nothing?
If we claim to be followers of Christ then know that trials will come your way; there is no other way. It’s part of life as a Christian and in the big scheme of things the trials are simply training ground for how you handle the big tests that will come your way. Jesus had a mission to complete and through it He beat death. What disappointments will you overcome to beat the enemy in your life? You will never know if you never stop looking at disappointments in the wrong way.
Julie Blair is President of Julie Blair Ministries that helps people worldwide grow in Christ. To learn more about going deeper in Christ or to have Julie speak to your church or business visit www.julieblair.com
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