29 Nov HOW TO DEAL WITH DISAPPOINTMENT IN GOD

There is probably no worse feeling in the world then desiring something badly, praying hard for it, working hard for it, and not receiving it.  You feel like all your time, effort, and praying was for naught.  Wasted energy.  I would like to tell you, that if you work hard at anything you can achieve it.  I would like to tell you that.  But there is and will always be parts of life you just don’t have any control or influence over, no matter how hard you try to control or steer your life in a particular direction.

There will be times that you will work hard at things, very hard, and fail to achieve them.  We are told the opposite of this, since the days of our youth.  Anything you work hard for in due time you will receive.  The problem is the Bible never says this.  This a secular teaching.  God never said whatever you work hard for he will give to you. The things you desire may not be the things he wills for your life.  The things you desire may not even be things that have been promised in scripture for the Christian believer.  If scripture does not support it, do not count on God to do it.   The Bible never says whatever you work hard for God will give you. 

The Bible does say whatever you work for or strive for by faith that is in God’s will, you will receive, according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus, Philippians 4:19.  Often times our idea of riches, is far from Gods idea of riches for us.  We never seem to really reconcile that.  While God speaks of blessing those that walk in his favor, his blessings are specific to the believer, and to what God has for him or her to accomplish in this life.  God’s will for most of us does not require that we have large sums of money in order to succeed in it. 

We must accept that.  Most of us do not need to be famous in order for us to accomplish the things God has etched out for our lives.  We must accept that.  Fame and wealth do not signify the importance of a person’s life.  God does.  We were deemed important from the beginning, when God chose to send his son to redeem you and me from the destruction of sin. 

Who would send their son to die for their neighbor’s child?  As fond as you may be of your neighbor.   However, God sent his son to die for all men!  How important is Man to God for him to do such a thing!  You were deemed important to him from the beginning.  You do not need wealth or fame to determine your importance. 

That is the way by which the world judges its own.  We are not the worlds, but are Gods, and he does not judge his children according to the worlds standards.  Every person in the Bible who acquired great wealth, obtained it for the plan God had laid out for him or her.  God gives no one great wealth for the purposes of acquiring great material possessions, although many of us who believe have falling prey to that sin.  Clearly, the Bible speaks against it. 

Matthew 6:19 – 21 reads:  Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal;  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

So according to God, we are NOT to seek after riches on Earth.  God also said in ch.31 – 33 of the book of Matthew:  “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you”.

We are not to make are life goal, obtaining wealth, status, and prestige.  This is the world’s way, but it is not God’s way.  God does not use these things to validate a person; we seek these things to validate ourselves. 

Why isn’t the love of God enough for us?  We are solicited all day long about what a successful and fulfilling life is supposed to look like and feel.  If your life does not “look” like this, or “feel” like that, then you are not successful.  Success is important to the person, but it is more important that others see us as being successful.  Think about it. 

God loves us beyond logical comprehension, yet we chase the love of others and of the world.  There is something in us that says Gods love for us and the value he places on us is not enough.  That his declaration that we are successful and important is not enough.  We seek to be validated by the people who are around us as well.  Family, friends, neighbors, strangers, basically the world.  This may not ring true for a few, but it certainly does for most, and I include myself in the majority. 

We see it in our daily observations and interactions with people.  I tell people in Christ all the time, if fame and popularity is what you seek, then you do not want to be friends with Jesus.  You will not garner fame being Jesus friend, you will gain infamy. You will not garner popularity; you will become despised!  God did not call us to be popular; he called us to be despised. 

Jesus did not escape it, and if you are in him, you will not escape it either.  We must accept that reality.  I am not saying these things to cast a dark shadow or bring a black cloud over your head.  Serving God will fulfill you.  Nothing else will if he has called you.  And make no mistake about it, there will be pain.  You will be broken for his purpose, and he will mend you back together for his purpose.  How does this tie into disappointment?  It all ties in together.  Successes and failures can break a person who is not willing, and it will produce perseverance and patience in the one who is willing. 

We are not willing.  The flesh is weak. Our Lord said as much.  The Spirit is the one who is willing.  If you let him do the walking, you will reach the other side.  He cannot fail.  On Paul’s final expedition to Rome, there arose a severe storm.  That was one obstacle.  During that trip to Rome, Paul was bitten by a poisonous snake while preaching to the men on the ship.  That was another obstacle.  The Bible said the snake wound that Paul suffered would have stricken a normal man, but the Bible said it had no effect on Paul’s body.  These are the things in life that lead to our disappointments.  Storms that come and stop our plans.  Snake bites out of nowhere that sideline us.  Sicknesses and injuries.  Life’s hardships. 

In spite of all the obstacles that took place on his journey to Rome, Rome he reached, because God predestined it.  You will reach your destination too if God has designed it.  Rome is just a representation of the place in your life God has predestined for you to go for his purpose in your life.  You will get there.  The travel or the journey will be tough.  You will encounter a storm or two, maybe even a tempest, but God will see you through.  David said in Psalms 37:25: “ I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread“. 

I have tried at many things, and I have failed at many things. Personal goals, professional goals, and relationships.  I have failures in all these areas.  David said he has never seen the righteous forsaken not once, but in my times of failure, I certainly did not feel that way.  Failure and disappointment makes you feel like God has abandoned you. God can produce, even in your failures. Sometimes it is not the “goals” that God is against in your life. Sometimes it’s the plan you have in place going about getting them. Pray for his insight, his plan, and his goal, and just let go of that foolish doctrine we all have that we know what’s best for our lives.

Jesus is best, and he does a great job all by his self……