“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth … let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”
• John. 14:27
Disappointment and discouragement are two sides of a coin, which everyone born into this world is bound to face at one time or the other. Even Jesus Christ, our Lord, had his own share of disappointments when, at the garden of Gethsemane, he expected his disciples to join him in prayer (even for an hour only) but they rather fell asleep.
“And he cometh unto the disciples and findeth them asleep and said unto Peter: what, could ye not watch with me one hour?” (Matt. 26:40).
When David encountered the giant, Goliath, his heart did not fail but he remembered how God helped him to kill very dangerous wild animals when he was shepherding his flock in the wilderness
At a point, he was also discouraged and said; “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death” (Matt. 26:38). This should not surprise anybody because although he is divine, as long as he was in his human form he was bound to feel the way we feel. But the grand lesson he thought us was to let the will of God prevail over the will of man.
The issue now is how to handle disappointment as a Christian. Alexander Pope (1688 – 1744) a Roman Catholic Christian said “blessed is he who expects nothing for he shall not be disappointed.” This should be understood from the angle of the Holy Bible in Psalm 118: 8-9 that “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man or princes.
When people put their hope in fellow men, they are very likely to be disappointed because man is limited in knowledge. Man is also feeble and fickle. In the same scripture, the Bible also talks of men of high estate (that is, princes) they may not help because they are generally proud, rash and seek vain glory. It is therefore, better to put your trust in God alone so that you are not disappointed. Even God himself puts no trust in his saints (Job 15:15).
When disappointment comes suddenly, that is when your faith is tested. Rather than feel discouraged, do the following:
Get hold of the word of God which says that “All things work together for good for those who love God…” (Romans 8:28). If you have not been sowing disappointment in other people’s lives, the disappointment you suffer would open a better door for you.
• Remember what God has done before. This is where the Israelites failed in the wilderness. When discouragement crept in, they forgot the wonders that God performed in Egypt for their sake, and started murmuring against God and his prophet, Moses. The result was the destruction of those that murmured.
On the other hand, when David encountered the giant, Goliath, his heart did not fail but he remembered how God helped him to kill very dangerous wild animals when he was shepherding his flock in the wilderness. There is always something to remember, a testimony that God has given you earlier. God wants us to remember them and trust him to do more.
• Next, speak to yourself in faith. The Psalmist spoke to himself at a time of discouragement “why art thou cast down, o my soul, and why art thou disquieted in me, hope thou in God. For I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.” (Psalm 42:5).
• Inquire from the Lord what to do next. When the Amalekites invaded and kidnapped women and children in David’s camp (including his own wives), David overcame disappointment and shock by inquiring from God what to do next, and God did not disappoint him. “And David was greatly distressed for the people (his people) spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and daughters; but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God “… And David enquired of the Lord saying shall I pursue … And he answered him: Pursue, for thou shall surely overtake them, and without fail, recover all.” (1Sam 30:8). If you are not fuming and fretting, the Holy Spirit will have a conducive atmosphere to lead you into the next action because you are focused on Him, and not on your disappointment.
One thing the present day Christians are fast-forgetting is prayer of inquiry. But that is the secret of many who are not disappointed in marriage, business and other important decisions of life.
• Do not allow your faith to fail. Faith-failure is to the spirit what heart-failure is to the body. Faith walk is a fight that must be won, because the reward is “to him that overcometh.” But the truth is that nobody can overcome without Jesus Christ. Outside Jesus Christ you fight in vain and alone. It is only the peace of Christ that can guarantee true peace. It is your knowledge of Him that makes you laugh at contrary situations. Job 5:22 says “thou shall laugh at destruction.”
• Worship and praise God from the depth of your heart. This makes satan mad, and brings God, who is fearful in praises, to your situation, faster.
May the peace of God that passeth all understanding keep you soaring above storms and discouragement. May the disappointment of men pave way for the appointment of God in your life, in Jesus name, Amen.
