How to Handle Disappointment

It's easy to get disappointed in those around us or even ourselves. The gap between expectation and reality is where disappointment & despair lies. But who set those appointments in the first place? Are the expectations that we haven't met God's? Or ours? The grief and guilt that comes with disappointment can cause despair and despondency, especially when we're disappointed in something that God has not appointed us to.

There's also this false sense of solitude that happens when we think we're missing out. You have to remember that you're not alone in any of the disappointments of life; there's always someone else that's gone through or is going through your situation. So many of the things that disappoint us, when we get down to it, are the same things that disappoint others. But feeling cut off allows you to think you're the only one left and the burden is solely on you to deal.

As so many of our discussions go, it all comes back to trusting that God knows the ins and outs of your disappointing situation more than you ever could, and that he'll take you through and over it. You can't get what you don't ask for from God, so you have to keep in contact with Him and let Him know what's in your heart. But He will also not give you what you're not prepared for. Just thinking you're ready doesn't make you ready. The good news is He's the one that will prepare you so that you can get what you've asked for. So you have to ask for it ("it" being whatever you're hoping for/expecting in your life), trust Him to bring it to you, and allow Him to prepare you, keeping in the forefront of your mind that you do trust Him to prepare you for the answer to your request. It's not that complicated, it just requires living it out daily for (literally) God-only-knows how long.

Also, remember that your expectations in others are just that: yours. Trying to force their lives to meet expectations (which are usually for your benefit, not theirs), is not your job. It's God's job to ensure that other people meet His expectations.

So, you may not control how long you have to wait; just how well you do it. And how well you wait is how well you handle disappointments in the relentless pursuit of Godly expectations.

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What are some ways that you deal (or have dealt) with disappointment?

One way to push past disappointment is to remember your dreams. What is it that you dream of or think you are supposed to do?