Disappointment is part of life. At different points in our lives, we have felt this emotion
when things have not gone as we thought they would. It could be as simple as a holiday
plan that had to be canceled or as hard as the betrayal of a loved one. In our walk, we
may have also felt disappointed when God did not meet our expectation in a particular
situation. When we experience such disappointment, it can leave us depressed,
hopeless and insecure in our identity. Even though we have been saved, we still have to
live in a broken world. This is so that we can do all that God had purposed for us to do
from the beginning of time. How can we genuinely walk through seasons of
disappointment and still hold fast to our faith in Jesus?
Over the years I have used five steps to help me overcome seasons of disappointment in
my life;
Step 1
Be honest with God about how you feel. What does your prayer time with God look like?
Are you truly transparent with him about your thoughts and feelings? Even though God
knows what is in our hearts, he still wants to hear it from our mouths. When we feel
disappointed it helps to pour our honest thoughts to God in prayer.
Step 2
Spend time in the Psalms. During difficult seasons in our lives, we may find it hard to find
the right prayers to pray. Thankfully, we have a collection of prayers in the Psalms. In the
Psalms, we find prayers for every situation and they allow us to express how we feel
when we can’t find the right words. I particularly love the Psalms because they always
end with praising God. Take for example Psalms 13 and Psalms 77; David and Asaph
begin the Psalms with lamentations; ‘O LORD how long will you forget me? Forever?...’
Somehow they remember the goodness of God and end with; ‘O God your ways are holy.
Is there any god as mighty as you?’
Step 3
Be thankful (Psalm 100). In the midst of all of this brokenness, there is still a lot to be
thankful for. When we have nothing, we still have everything because we have Jesus. We
are thankful that we have salvation and in Jesus we will enjoy eternal life. Remember,
Everything - Jesus = Nothing and Nothing + Jesus = Everything.
Step 4
Be expectant! Always remain hopeful for it is impossible to please God without faith
(Hebrews11:6). One thing we know of our God is that he is able to turn our
disappointments into appointment. Like Joseph in Genesis 50:20 we are encouraged
that whatever the enemy meant for evil, God intends to use it for our good and to bring
glory to his name. Therefore, we know that whatever suffering we endure in this life will
not be in vain.
Claud Jaiyeola
Song recommendation
Graves into Garden - Elevation Worship