Disappointments come in all shapes and sizes, and they don’t care about the age of their recipients. They can be subtle or aggressive. They can gradually build up over years or dump themselves upon you with no warning. No matter what the delivery method or size, disappointments often scar our hearts.
Rising above life’s disappointments involves acknowledging God and worshipping Him throughout the struggles. Victory over disappointment uses pain to fuel hope in God, hope in heaven, and hope in Jesus’ return to snatch His bride away. The greater our pain, the stronger our yearning for Christ (John 14:1-3).
This mortal life of faith is a unique opportunity to glorify God in ways we will never have in heaven. Our arrival in heaven means we shall never have another opportunity to be sanctified, or to stand faithful for Christ while in a hostile environment. All opportunities to speak well of Christ while in the battles of life will end. Heaven will not present us with an enemy to overcome, it will never permit struggles for us to conquer, and it will never allow opposition for us to stand firm against. The threats and fears that come from an evil enemy, from pain and weakness, simply will never be experienced in heaven. Never again will we be able to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with sinners lost in the darkness of this world. Heaven will never allow the opportunity, or choice, to show loving grace on Jesus’ behalf in the antagonistic world that we presently live.
While many point the finger of criticism at God for the injustices of this sinful world, and mock Him during our struggles, we do well to remember the privilege and promise for suffering Christians. After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you (1 Peter 5:10). Worship, certainty of hope, and obedience are the killers of disappointment as we trust in the God who promises to personally bring relief. All we need to do is patiently wait for Him.
Remember, as you rub shoulders with those suffering disappointments, gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body (Proverbs 16:24). Christian, in all life’s circumstances, point the weary person to the Lord Jesus Christ. While disappointment attempts to convince you that faith is useless and hope in Jesus is dead, God’s testimony is the opposite. Listen to Paul’s exhortation to the Thessalonian believers, which ends with a promise. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
We have a compassionate God who promises to bring our sanctification, that is, the process of personal development in holiness, to perfect completion. Our entire being shall be presented blameless at Christ’s return. God categorically promises that he will surely do it. But you may ask, Why? The answer is because He who calls you is faithful. Faith looks to, and depends upon God to do all that He has promised. Faith expects God to sanctify, either now or later, all our failings, our deceptive hearts, our weaknesses, our broken bodies, our destructive thoughts, our damaged relationships, our failed expectations, and our disappointments.
In Christ, we can rise above our disappointments with a victory that carries us today, and promises us a living and perfect eternity with Christ.
