What to Do When Life Disappoints You.

Sometimes life doesn’t go our way. Life takes turns that leave us questioning “Why God?” and disappointment can set in.

People fail us, husbands disappoint, friendships disintegrate, health evades us, friends betray us, children go wayward. These are all serious things.

We expected life to give us lemonade, but really it gave us lemons.

This past week I sat with three separate women who had all faced serious disappointment in life, and as I listened to their hearts and heard what was coming out of their mouth, I was reminded that our attitude during disappointment determines whether we grow better spiritually or whether we grow bitter. 

We can either grasp tightly to what we “expected” or we can loosen our grip on our expectations and open our hands to what God is doing and allowing.

We can either stand up, fight and assert our rights during trials,

or we can approach the situation head bowed low and waiting to see what God will do.

The first attitude adds more sin to a problem, the second attitude allows us to be sanctified.

My hydrangea tree out front just endured a huge rain storm. Its beautiful blooms are saturated with water and are bowing gracefully towards the earth. And aren’t we the same way, when we are filled with the water of the Word of God? Heads bowed low in reverence and fear of God. Not demanding, self assertive or self seeking. Bowed low in humility, waiting and yielding?

How can we take this stance when life is so disappointing at times? When sinful people make our lives miserable?

Because God is still in control during our most disappointing days. He is the one who ordained the day that we are frustrated with. In the end it is His Will that we do not like, truth be told, because we’ve clung so tightly to our own ideas and will.

And we cannot allow Christ to reign as Lord of our lives if we are not willing to accept his will for us. It is as plain as that.

No man can serve two masters, and no woman can claim Jesus Christ as Lord while she despises His will and plan for her RIGHT NOW.

Meekness during trials is the attitude that we need to have to flourish.

Meekness is not weakness; it is strength under control. It is strength of mind that says “God is still on the throne of heaven doing what He thinks is best for me right. this.moment.”

Humility says “God is too good to ever do something that is bad for me.”

“Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you.”

Wisdom gives us the insight to let go of our childish, grasping dreams and to embrace what God has given today. Wisdom allows us to say “Thy will be done,” and mean it when it is exactly the opposite of what we dreamed, hoped or imagined.

And this is the way from disappointment to contentment.