As a 74 year old minister and grandfather of six, I believe I have made some significant observations. If I had the opportunity to pass on one the most significant observations that we have failed as parents, grandparents, and pastors is to teach people how to handle disappointment. Disappointment is a fact of life, yet some parents try to shield their children from them rather than teaching them to accept and learn from them. Schools no longer honor students for exceptional achievement by rewarding trophies or 1st place ribbons because they do not wish to disappoint the other students. I believe this is wrong as it does not encourage children from doing their best.
Disappointment is not new.
* In Genesis 4 Cain brought an offering to the Lord and "expected" the Lord to accept it but the Lord did not accept it. Cain, in his disappointment with God killed his brother Abel.
* In Exodus 2 Moses knew God had called him to deliver the Nation of Israel from Egyptian bondage but when he presented himself to the leaders of Israel, they rejected his leadership. Disappointment #1
* The 12 Disciples "expected" Jesus to overthrow the Romans and establish His Kingdom on earth. Acts 1:6 But He disappointed them by refusing to meet their expectation.
Many of us have been taught from childhood that there are certain things we can expect from God. We are taught God is our protector and many of us can personally testify of His protection yet hundreds of believers are being martyred for their faith as we speak. We are taught that God will provide our needs, yet thousands will die today from starvation. We are taught divine healing and again many of us have experienced it but not all are healed.
Time and space would not allow us to thoroughly explore the challenges of disappointment but allow me to share my thoughts.
* Job found that God didn’t always act according to his expectations, nor according to those of his contemporaries. Still he was able to say, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him” Job 13:15 Note that he did not say, “I trust this or that will be the outcome,” but “I trust in Him.”
* God is God and I am not. When we demand that God meet our expectations, we are totally out-of-line. We have to acknowledge, God is omniscient we are not. Deut. 29:29
We expect life to be fair but Philip Yancey said in his book, Disappointment with God - "“We tend to think, 'Life should be fair because God is fair.' But God is not life. And if I confuse God with the physical reality of life- by expecting constant good health for example- then I set myself up for crashing disappointment.”
Nevertheless, God does take care of His own. If in His divine wisdom, He sees fit to make an exception to some general rule, we should say, “Let God be God.”
Yes, we can trust God to keep His promises. More than that, we can trust God. He is the King of the universe, the all-knowing Sovereign, the Almighty. He has said He loves us… and He sent His only Son to prove it. And that is a God to be trusted! --- Stanley C. Baldwin, Discipleship Journal
The key is to surrender totally to God and allow your expectations to be from Him. My soul, wait silently for God for my hope [expectation] is from Him. Psalm 62:5
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