DEALING WITH DISAPPOINTMENT

            If you are like me, you may be experiencing a far amount of disappointment right now. The election season has come to an end and things didn’t work out the way I would have liked. The danger for me right now is to let my disappointment turn into bitterness and anger. Neither of those things will accomplish God’s plans nor benefit me as a person. So I need to stop and ask myself how I am going to deal with my disappointment.

            Disappointment is a normal part of life. Most of us face far more disappointment than celebration. We are in the middle of football season. There are 32 teams in the NFL. 30 of them will end their season in disappointment. That is life. So if disappointment is going to be a regular part of our lives how do we deal with it?

            There is a story from the Old Testament that deals with extreme disappointment and loss. It is found in 2 Samuel 12. Let me set the stage. King David has had an adulterous relationship with Bathsheba that produced a child. Nathan the prophet has confronted David and he has repented of his sin. But Nathan has some bad news, the child will die. For seven days David fasted and prayed before God for the life of the boy. On the seventh day the boy died. Everyone was afraid to tell David. He had been so distraught, now what would he do? Let’s pick up the story in verse 20, after David learned that the child was dead.

    Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate. His servants asked him, "Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!" He answered, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, 'Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.' But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me." 2 Samuel 12:20-23

            There are a couple of observations that we can make from this passage that can help us deal with disappointment in life.

            First, it is right for us to give all our effort toward accomplishing our dreams, goals and desires. David lived a passionate life, not a cautious life. Too often, in an attempt to avoid disappointment, we choose caution over significant risk. Yet, it is only through taking risks that we can ever hope to gain. Like David we need to lay our dreams and desires before the Lord, with passion and enthusiasm.

            Secondly, when disappointment comes put things into perspective. When David learned that his son had died the days of his fasting ended. He intentionally and humbly submitted himself to the will of God. Then he got up and prepared himself for the next challenge of life.

            I have a tendency to hang onto disappointments. I relive them over and over again, thinking of all the things that could have been different. I am learning that, when disappointment comes, I must acknowledge it and then release it into God’s hands.

            Third, move on. David’s servants were surprised and shocked by David’s actions. They could not understand the abrupt change in his demeanor. David understood that staying in his disappointment was not a healthy place to be.

            We all can learn from David. For a time, disappointment will immobilize us. But as soon as we can, we need to let go and move on with life. I think Paul had that in mind when he penned the words of Philippians 3:13-14. “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

            Many people worked very hard to accomplish some specific goals during our recent elections. For whatever reason, God did not allow those efforts to bear fruit. We can stay in our disappointment and stop moving forward. Or we can put our disappointment behind us and trust God to lead us into the future. When I was in college, a Christian song came out that said disappointment is God’s appointment to do a work in your life. I didn’t really understand that back then. I think I’m catching on.