Tasting Dirt: When You're Disappointed With GodSample

God Gives You Himself

God gives you Himself.

Don’t miss this. It’s only THE most important thing in this plan. I’m going to repeat it, really more for myself than anyone else because, as you’ve probably noticed, I can be pretty slow to understand.

Life is disappointing. 

Living hurts.

Loving equals suffering.

AND

God gives you Himself.

Jesus gives you Himself.

The Holy Spirit gives you Himself.

Have you ever given yourself to anyone? You. Have you given yourself, physically, emotionally, spiritually? No holds barred, all in, till death do you part? I am not talking specifically about marriage. Have you ever chosen to show up even though you knew it was going to hurt? Have you been honest when you knew it was going to be hard, but it would be the best thing for the other person and the relationship? Remember how vulnerable and scary and desperate that felt? Fix that feeling in your mind for a moment.

Now, I’ll say it again: God, your God, gives Himself to you. Being with you is worth the pain of joining in your suffering. Jesus walked all the way to Bethany knowing and planning to meet Martha and Mary in their pain. He knew and planned to let his love for Mary become His suffering with her. He does the same for you. He gives himself to you because He loves you, and He expects it to hurt.

If we expect a pain-free life, then we can also expect to be disappointed. 

“I have told you these things, so that you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NIV). 

Jesus warned us we would have trouble, pain, and difficulty for the duration of this physical life. Then He promised that we could have peace and hope because He was doing something to end the struggling. He did not say the pain is from God. Sometimes we make the mistake of believing that everything that happens to us here is something God wants to happen to us. What God wants is to be in a relationship with us. He loves us, and He wants us to love Him back. 

Everything God does is motivated by making that relationship possible. We can expect suffering here, but only so long as we are stuck in this world that is contaminated and screwed up by sin. We can expect God to stay with us and hurt with us for as long as we have to be here. And we can expect God to take us away to a place free of sin and, therefore, free of suffering, at the time He knows is right for each of us. 

This is the truth that heals us and gives us hope that won’t ever disappoint us!

Did you write down your story of disappointment? If you want someone to read it, you can send it to me: sara@emotionculture.com 

I would be honored by the privilege of knowing your story!

We hope you were encouraged. This plan was adapted from the book- Tasting Dirt: When You’re Disappointed With God by Sara Hall