When Life Takes a DISAPPOINTING Turn

Jun 19

2020 has been a year of disappointment for all - nothing has been how we have hoped. Everyone is facing different challenges, struggles and disappointments. So what do you do when disappointment strikes? When life looks different than you hoped or imagined? When you wanted a certain future to come to fruition and it fell apart - what then?

Take Time to Lament

Lament is a prayer in pain that leads to trust. It is coming to the Lord and crying out to Him in our hurt and pain and making our requests known to Him and then trusting in His ways. John Piper puts it this way,

“Occasionally, weep deeply over the life that you hoped would be. Grieve the losses. Feel the pain. Then wash your face, trust God, and embrace the life that he’s given you.”

Grieving over our losses, disappointments and pain is important. Bringing our sorrow to God helps us to remember that we are not alone - that the Lord is right there with us in the middle of it all (Isaiah 43:2).

Hope in God

Lament must not fall short of hoping in God, even when pain and confusion fill our hearts. To hope in God, we must choose to trust in Him and His ways. We must speak truth to ourselves instead of listening to ourselves. Psalm 42:5 says,

“Why are you in despair, O my soul, and why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence.”

The Psalmist tells his soul to hope in God and to praise Him. The Psalmist then goes on to remind himself of past ways God has displayed His lovingkindness.

Here are 5 truths you can remind yourself of:

God’s ways are perfect

God is infinitely vast and He has a perfect plan for your life (Psalm 18:30). It may not be the plan you want or view as good - but His ways are always so much higher than ours.

The nearness of God is our good

The nearness of God is your ultimate good - it is where true satisfaction and joy is found (Psalm 16:11; 73:28). No circumstance or person can fulfill you the way that the Lord can. We were made to worship the Lord.

No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly

The Lord will not withhold anything good from those who walk uprightly (Psalm 84:11). This does not mean that He will give you everything you think is good for you - but everything He says is good for you.

Jesus is our good Shepherd

Jesus is your good Shepherd - He laid down His life for His sheep (John 10:11-15). He never abandons His sheep, but constantly and perfectly cares for them.

Our suffering has purpose

Your suffering is not wasted (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). The Lord is using it not only to mold you more into the image of Christ, but to also prepare for you an eternal weight of glory that will far outweigh all earthly suffering.

Embrace the Life God has Given You

As you hope in God, this helps you to be able to better embrace the life God has given you right now. Even when life takes a disappointing turn, we can still walk in faithfulness and thankfulness to the Lord.

Though there is nothing wrong with sorrow, we must be careful not to fall into chosen despair. If we spend all our time and energy focusing on what we don’t have, what we feel like the Lord is withholding from us and life’s disappointments we will easily fall into despair. Even if life looks different from what you would like it to look, you can still praise the Lord for who He is, His salvation and all the good gifts He has so graciously given you.

Katherine Wolf, a woman who has walked through much suffering, sums it up perfectly:

“Don’t wait to celebrate the life you have been given, even if it looks different from the one you thought you would have.” - Katherine Wolf

We can still praise God and give Him glory even in the hurt, knowing that He is a good Father who knows us intimately and is at work for our good even when we can’t see it or feel it.

Reach out to a Sister in Christ

Don’t try to walk your journey alone. Reach out to fellow sisters in Christ who can bear your burdens with you and who can speak truth to you and pray for you (Galatians 6:2).

“Encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:11

To Live

Take some time to bring your disappointment and hurt to the Lord - cry out to Him, make your requests known to Him and praise Him for who He is. Then make a list of 10 things you are thankful to the Lord for in your life.