Disappointment

Disappointment occurs when something or someone doesn’t meet our expectations. It happens to all of us. Could it be because our expectations aren’t realistic? Are they too high? Should we allow more room for failure?

I am presently re-reading a book called Disappointment with God by Philip Yancey. It helps me look at things from a different perspective. Why does it seem like God is failing me at times? Why does He choose not to exercise His power in a miraculous way when He could easily do it? Is God ever disappointed with His creation? With me? How can I learn to live with His “silence” at times? Or am I not listening properly? After all, He has spoken through the written Word and His Son, who is the living Word, God’s expression of Himself to mankind.

Sometimes we are disappointed with people around us. They don’t understand. They let us down. Did that ever happen to Jesus? Of course it did. He wept over the inhabitants of Jerusalem who wouldn’t listen to Him. One of His disciples betrayed Him. Although He knew it was going to happen, it still made Him sad to watch it play out. Most of His followers left Him to die alone. But how did He react? With forgiveness and second chances for most of them. Can I react in a way that has eternal significance?

Many years ago I wrote a song about Heaven called “Imagine.” One of the phrases I used to describe our eternal home was: “No disappointment will ever be known.” (You can listen to it by clicking this link: Imagine is Track 10). In the words of Philip Yancey, “In any discussion of disappointment with God, heaven is the last word, the most important word of all. Only heaven will finally solve the problem of God’s hiddenness.”

Does God disappoint you by seeming to be hiding? Does He ever seem deaf to your pleas? Remember, we can’t presently see things from His perspective. Maybe we should be thinking more about His disappointment than ours. He yearns for our love. He has invested His all to win our heart’s devotion. Have we disappointed Him?

There is nothing you can do today to earn God’s love. It is already given. But is there a way to show Him right now how much you appreciate Him?