We’ve all experienced it:
- Someone failed to keep an important promise to us.
- Someone we were relying on didn’t come through.
- Something we hoped for or dreamed about didn’t happen.
- An expectation we had was unfulfilled or under-fulfilled.
I’ve felt it. You’ve felt it. We’ve all experienced the frustration and pain of disappointment.
If we’re not careful, disappointment can be deadly. It can ignite anger or invite despair. Over time, accumulated disappointments can make people bitter and brittle. They can cause people to retreat into a dark cave called “cynicism.” Far too many people live there, trusting almost no one or nothing.
There’s a better way to handle disappointments. A change of perspective helps you turn your disappointments into “Hisappointments!” It allows you to see your disappointments in the light of God’s wisdom, grace and providence.
How do you turn disappointments into “Hisappointments?”
1. Remember that everybody experiences disappointments.
When you’re disappointed, it’s easy to convince yourself that you’re the victim of a horrible cosmic plan specifically designed to make you, and you only, miserable. The universe is picking on you! Nope, not true. Disappointment is a part of life! Accept it. Embrace it. Expect it. God never promised you a disappointment-free life. Everybody has them.
2. Look for important life lessons.
What can you learn from the disappointment that will make you a better person? How can this disappointment help you avoid being a disappointment to others? What character or personality issues did this disappointment reveal in your life? What life principles will you take away from the experience that will make you wiser and maturer?
3. Trust God to work out His plan any how!
Do you really believe in the almighty, all-powerful, all wise, all good, all loving, “all things are possible,” “nothing is too hard for Me” God of the Bible? If you do, then you can know that God is able to handle the disappointments that come into your life. Disappointments don’t intimidate God or jeopardize His plans. In fact, quite often the disappointments we’re so upset about are actually God’s ways of getting our attention and adjusting our life course. When disappointments come, trust Him any how!
Don’t live in disappointment. Turn your disappointments into “Hisappointments!”
Dale O'Shields
