How do you deal with
disappointment? Some of us hide it away. We deny its reality with fine words.
But deep down we become numb. We become afraid to trust God again. “Surviving
disappointment” becomes our background story, influencing our response to every
interaction. We need to grieve disappointment in a healthy way.
Jesus tells John the Baptist, “Blessed is the one who is not offended by Me
(Matthew 11:6).” I think Jesus was calling John to trust Him again; to trust
what John had hoped in previously, not what he was experiencing physically and
emotionally. Jesus then goes on to sing John the Baptist’s praises to the
crowds and encourage them to have faith in God’s Kingdom and ways as John
did.
Isn’t it beautiful that Jesus’ expectation of John was not primarily
perseverance in the strength of his own faith, but hope in the goodness of
God’s heart for him and the world!
This week:
Are you
making space to grieve disappointment?
Are you
letting God move you from a place of disappointment to hope?
How might you
be able to help facilitate this
process for others?
Regaining Hope
Dorothy Stewart
