BATTLES – Part 3 – Overcoming Disappointments

GETTING STARTED:

Have you ever been upset with God? Sometimes when our expectations are not met by the Lord, we can become disappointed or angry. Everyone knows disappointment sooner or later. Friends break their word, marriages end in divorce, our children move away and never call us, colleagues betray us, the company lays us off, doctors can’t cure us, our investments disappear, our dreams are shattered, the best-laid plans go astray, other Christians disappoint us, and very often, we disappoint ourselves. We live in a world of disappointment, and if we do not come to grips with this truth, we are doomed to be unhappier tomorrow than we are today.

ONE BIG IDEA!

How you act and react to life and its many disappointments indicates who you are and what you can become.

STUDY:

2 CORINTHIANS 4:7-9, “⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. ⁸ We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;” (ESV)

LEARN:

HOW TO VIEW DISAPPOINTMENTS:

DISAPPOINTMENTS SOMETIMES ARE JUST DELAYS

Who says that every setback has to be final? Even though we may not be able to enjoy the taste of victory today doesn’t mean we won’t taste it tomorrow. We may have to reshuffle our plans, we may have to rearrange your priorities, but disappointments don’t have to be final. The anticipation can be as much fun as the arrival. The delay may give you the extra time you need for more planning.

DISAPPOINTMENTS SHOULD BE EDUCATIONAL

We can actually LEARN from our setbacks. We never learn nearly as much from our successes as we do from our failures. It would be one of the greatest wastes of resources in the world if we failed to learn from those mistakes and disappointments that come our way. Sometimes the delays that we experience provide time for REFLECTION and SELF-EXAMINATION. It provides us with a learning opportunity.

It is only when you can’t learn or are unwilling to learn from life’s disappointments that they become failures. When we make mistakes, we have to ask the big question: “Why? What caused this to happen? Can I correct it?” If it can be corrected then do it.

DISAPPOINTMENTS CAN BE TIMES OF ADJUSTMENT 

Too many times, life becomes boring and routine. Day after day we do the same thing. Day in and day out we are content to simply continue doing the familiar. And it’s only when disappointments come that we look at these experiences and re-evaluate the way we’ve been doing things. Some of our greatest moments happen because we are forced out of our pattern of repetition by a disappointment. 

At the time of a disappointment it’s always wise to examine the events surrounding the disappointment and see if you need to make adjustments. Tradition is good as long as tradition is effective. If it’s no longer effective, we should make adjustments. And sometimes it takes a disappointment in a program before we make a change. And sometimes it takes a disappointment in your job for you to evaluate your position and your performance. And sometimes it takes a disappointment with your children to adjust your child rearing techniques. Instead of whining when you’re disappointed, you have to adjust.

DISAPPOINTMENTS CAN BE PACE SETTERS

Often after a professional athlete has injured himself, he returns to his sport too soon only to discover that the injury still hurts. Although the pain is a disappointment, it is essential to set the proper pace for the athlete’s development and complete healing. Sometimes there is a physical healing but not a mental healing. Sometimes we get hurt emotionally or spiritually and we never get over the disappointment and we don’t ever grow any further unless we take the time to recover. What can be a disappointment actually helps in their growth.

DISAPPOINTMENTS SOMETIMES ARE NECESSARY 

For full development we need to have different types of experiences come our way. There is no way we can exhibit the fruit of maturity in our life without the rain of disappointment. A land without rain is called a desert. Some of life’s greatest virtues like faith, hope, patience and perseverance only come our way through disappointment. Only then will you discover that every problem has a solution. Only when you have met with disappointment and overcome it will you develop the ingredients in your character to seek a solution instead of just complaining.

DISAPPOINTMENTS ARE NORMAL 

Don’t take disappointments personally. Our normal reaction is “Why?” or “How could this happen to me?” When things go wrong, it doesn’t mean that God is out to get you. Two people can have exactly the same disappointments and end up with two completely different outcomes. It is how we handle our disappointments that will determine our success. Some people are MOTIVATED by disappointments; others are DESTROYED by their disappointments.

How you act and react to life and its many disappointments usually indicates who you are and what you can become. Henry Ward Beecher stated “Ones best success comes after their greatest disappointments.” How do you view disappointments? As stepping stones or as stumbling blocks? Do they strengthen your faith or weaken your faith? Do they draw you nearer to God or push you farther away from God? The choice is yours and yours alone.

God knows more about your situation than you do (Romans 8:28-29). God sees the big picture and is working to accomplish His will in your life. Tell the person beside you, “God has a great purpose for your life.” God is more interested in your CHARACTER than your COMFORT. He wants to remove the unwanted attitude like impatience, being judgmental and other unholy characters.

Give God your burdens because He cares for you. God already knows you feel DISAPPOINTED, but in His eyes, you are APPOINTED! You are chosen by God to walk the path He leads you on. Pour out your heart to Him as often as you need to. He does not grow weary of your tears. Receive His strength and encouragement He has for you. He cares! Lastly, Stop looking at what God’s not doing, so you can see what He is doing! Ask God to help you begin to see what He is doing, rather than fixating on what you think He is failing to do for you. Disappointments may be divine appointments in disguise. Jesus is way bigger than your biggest obstacle! 

GROW:

Application Questions:

1. What are you struggling with right now? How do you react with disappointments or failures or unanswered prayer? Think about a time when something didn’t go well even though you tried very hard. How did you deal with it?
2. What were some life’s disappointments that you had overcome? How did your experience with disappointments mold your character?
3. What part of the message about overcoming disappointments made the most significant  impact to you?