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Overcome Disappointment
Many of us have gone through heart-wrenching disappointments. It is so hard to get back on our horse again. How do we overcome the disappointments of life?
Ezra Chapter 3 tells us of the plight of the people of God, the Israelites. Due to generations of disobedience, the Israelites have been sent into long captivity at Babylon. Some of them have been away from Jerusalem, their homeland for as long as 70 years. At last, the first group of them is returning to Jerusalem. They are returning to a land where the countryside is in the hands of the enemy. The city of Jerusalem is in ruins and the temple built by King Solomon is destroyed and gone. There is nothing except rubble. The Ark of the Covenant and the altar of sacrifice are gone.
As we read the touching story of the Israelites rebuilding Jerusalem, four lessons stand out to help us overcome the disappointments of life.
1. Yield your memories and your dreams to the Lord
Say to the Lord “Your will be done.” Take your past, good and bad, your future with all unlimited possibilities and give them to the Lord. Our God is a God of yesterday and tomorrow. Yield to the Lord so that you may live for His glory.
2. Accept your present situation as from the Lord
Accept that you are where you are because this is where God wants you to be. To “accept” doesn’t mean passive resignation to the problems of life. This is not a call to give up and stop fighting for what you believe in.
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4 (KJV).
3. Resolve to obey God right where you are
Disappointment may cause us to become bitter, and bitterness may make us lethargic toward the duties of life. Resolve in your heart that you will obey God right where you are. No excuses. No delays. No hoping for better days, happier times, or more favorable circumstances.
We may find a thousand excuses not to do the things we know we ought to do. And little by little things begin to slide:
- Jobs are not done
- Chores are not finished
- Projects are left uncompleted
- Phone calls are not returned
- Appointments are not met
- Messages are not answere
- Papers are not written
- Goals are not met
If we are not careful, we will slide into a bottomless pit of despair. The answer is so simple that we often miss it. If things aren’t what you wish they were, roll up your sleeves anyway and go to work. Your willingness to do what needs to be done may change the way things are. And even if the situation does not improve, you can hardly make it worse by doing what needs to be done. If you should make it worse, you have the satisfaction of knowing that you made it worse by doing your duty, not by giving up and throwing in the towel.
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10a).
4. Praise God for His goodness in spite of your circumstances.
This is what the people of God did in Ezra’s day. They rolled up their sleeves, got to work. As they worked, they envisioned the fulfillment of their dreams and they praised God.
Rough Seas Make Great Sailors
Difficult times are hard to bear because they force us out of our comfort zone. We have no way to turn to except to trust God. It is through experiencing disappointments that we understand the truth that God does take care His children.
We can learn in the classroom about sailing but it takes manning the helm and navigating through the storm that we learn how to sail to survive the storm. So give thanks to God even though your circumstances are not the best.
Better to Begin Small
It is better to begin small with God than not to begin at all. It is better to rejoice over what you have than to weep over what you used to have.
Disappointment is a tricky emotion. It’s not wrong to remember the past and it’s certainly not wrong to grieve over what you lost. If our loss was caused by our own stupid choices, then grieving may keep us from making the same mistakes again.
There comes a time when we must move on. Our beginnings are likely to be small and insignificant. Do not despair. From tiny acorns mighty oaks someday grow. When God wanted to save the world, he started with a baby in a manger. Small beginnings are no hindrance to the Lord. Go ahead and get started. You never know what God will do.
How long are you going to allow your future to be defined by your past? How long will you choose to stay in your disappointment? Don’t despise your present because it’s not what you wanted it to be or because it’s not what your past used to be.
Lay your disappointments at the foot of the cross. Let Jesus have them. Take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there. Give thanks for all your blessings. Then by God’s grace, move forward with your life, determined to serve the Lord.
Read the full sermon here.
