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 hopes in, not what he is 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!
- 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?
