When Disappointment StrikesSample

Defining Disappointment

When we experience disappointment, it’s because the expectations we had about something have gone unmet. We’ve put all our hope into an experience, event, or maybe even a person, and it didn’t go as planned. Some things disappoint us and only affect us for a few hours. Other disappointments break our hearts deeply. 

Our relationship fails
We don’t get the job
The trip gets canceled
We lose a loved one
Our plans fall through

Basically, we become disappointed when there’s a chasm between our expectations and what actually happened. Often, it’s disappointment that causes us to question God, because we wonder why our desires or hopes weren’t met. We feel He’s actually let us down. 

There was a man named Joseph in the Bible who was well acquainted with disappointment. At the age of 17, his brothers betrayed him and sold him into slavery in Egypt. Shortly after his arrival, he was wrongly accused and thrown into prison. He helped someone while in prison and thought that would set him free, but they forgot all about him. Although no one is completely certain, chances are he stayed in prison anywhere from 10-12 years for a crime he didn’t commit. Talk about disappointment. Things didn’t go as Joseph had hoped. 

We also experience disappointment because we think this world is supposed to be perfect. We may not actually express it, but we hope that we’ll get married to our dream person, excel at every class, or land a lucrative career. Lots of good things happen in our time here on earth, but know this: earth is not our home. And earth is certainly not perfect, so we need to adjust our expectations that it should be. 

Even though this earth isn’t our true or forever home, we’ll still live here until we take our final breath. And God doesn’t want us to live miserable lives while here. He sent Jesus to save us. He desires that we experience hope, joy, and peace while we temporarily reside here. 

No matter our belief systems, mental capabilities, social statuses, or financial standings, experiencing disappointment will be a part of our lives. It’s not something we enjoy, and we’re usually eager to jump past it or shove it into a part of our brain where we can try to forget it quickly. This won’t help us feel better—it’ll just prolong our healing. 

Over the next three days of this Plan, we’ll process, analyze, and grow through our disappointments in order to heal and use them for the benefit of others. Ask God to prepare you to truly deal with the disappointments you’ve faced and how you can come out healthier on the other side of them