Dealing with Disappointment

by Andrew Cromwell

Life is full of disappointments. To say so is to state the obvious. Relationships don’t turn out the way they’re supposed to. Businesses fail. Careers that were once fulfilling, end up being monotonous. Things you wanted to do, just aren’t going to happen. And the blockbuster movie of the summer you’ve been anticipating for so long was a bomb.

Big or small, life’s path is littered with disappointments all along the way.

The question is not whether or not we will be disappointed. Because we will. And neither is it how much we will be disappointed. Because it’s going to be a lot.

The question is, what will we do with disappointments?

The little things are generally pretty easy to shrug off. We learn from an early age that some things don’t turn out the way we thought they were going to. That toy that looked so amazing on television, doesn’t fly or disappear or actually shoot flames or rainbows. Even a little bit of experience in life helps prepare you for these little bumps in the road.

But it’s the big things that can really knock the wind out of you. Or sometimes it is just the constant barrage of disappointment that causes you to start to lose hope that things will ever turn around. You begin to wonder if life is nothing but disappointment.

If you’re struggling with disappointment (as we all do at some point in our lives), here are a few things Jesus told us that can truly change the way we respond when things don’t turn out the way we thought they were going to.

First, remember He said, “in this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33). The very first thing we need to remember is that problems and disappointments are part of life. We know this, but we still forget it constantly! Disappointments don’t just happen to bad people, they happen to all people. Just because things aren’t turning out the way you thought they were, doesn’t mean that God has forgotten you, it means that you are a human being living on planet Earth.

Second, remember that He finished that first part by saying, “but fear not, I have overcome the world”. I think it is fascinating that in this simple phrase, Jesus does not deny our problems and disappointments, but He reframes them in the context of who He is. In other words, “you’re gonna have problems, but if you are in My hands, then you don’t have to be crushed by them because ultimately I (and consequently you) will win.”

So the key is not ignoring your problems or acting as if the problems don’t bother you. The key is making sure that in the middle of the problems and disappointments that you are with the only Person who really can help you with your disappointments. Jesus Himself. I have found personally, that the only true relief when my soul is in anguish, is to go to Him for help.

So if you feel trapped in a web of disappointment, why don’t you invite Jesus to come closer to you so you can grab onto His hand? He has made it clear that He will come in and help anyone who calls out to Him!