As Christians we are constantly taught to believe in order to receive. We are told to have faith if we want to get what we have asked for. We are told to trust God and not to doubt.
But what happens when you don’t receive what you’ve been praying for? What happens when you’ve been standing in faith and believing God but what you’ve hoped for doesn’t come to pass? How do you overcome that disappointment?
Remember the Truth
When you are faced with disappointment, no matter how great or small, the most important thing to do is remember the truth. And what is that truth? That God is faithful. (Lamentations 3:23) God is still good. (Psalm 136:1) And He still desires the best for you. (Jeremiah 29:11)
It can be so easy to stray from the Lord and become angry with Him when we don’t see what we’ve been expecting. When our hopes and dreams are crushed, it can be easy to question the integrity of God. We can start to wonder if He really is trustworthy and whether or not He actually cares for us. But He does.
God is still the God who saves, the God who provides and the God who loves us, regardless of what happens in this life. We can’t let our circumstances affect that truth.
God is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) Remind yourself of this. Don’t let your disappointment drive you away from the very Person you need to press into.
Do Not Lean on Your Own Understanding
Sometimes we can forget that we don’t know everything. We can’t see everything, either. There is so much that goes on behind the scenes that we aren’t even aware of. But God is aware of it because He knows all and He sees all.
This is so important to remember when faced with disappointment. When you don’t get that job you believed you were going to get. Or when someone you loved walked out on you after you prayed they would stay.
It may not make sense to you but God knows why all of this happened. You need to have the courage to understand that and trust God, even when you’re disappointed. You can’t lean on your own understanding because it is very limited.
God may have allowed that person to leave because they weren’t right for you but you couldn’t see it. Or maybe you didn’t get that job because it was going to hinder your progress in the future. Or perhaps it was simply not God’s will.
Was it God’s Will?
It says John 5:14-15
Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
The key phrase here is according to His will. God will only give you what you ask if it is in line with His will for you. This may be hard to accept. But you need to come to terms with this truth if you are going overcome disappointment.
Sometimes we can confuse our desires for God’s desires. But what we want isn’t always what God wants for us. This is not to say that every single time that something doesn’t turn out right it’s because it wasn’t God’s will.
We have an enemy and he can hinder us and destroy our plans if don’t stay close to the Lord. But you must also understand that there are times when our desires don’t match God desires for us.
You need to be able to honestly assess whether or not what you were asking for was in line with God’s will. And if you know it wasn’t, you need to be able to let it go. But if you don’t know, you need to ask the Lord for understanding.
Ask the Lord for Understanding
When things don’t go how you want them to, don’t rush to accuse God of unfaithfulness. Instead ask Him for wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Ask God to help you see the situation through His eyes.
You may not always get the answer there and then. But in time, God will make it clear to you what was going on. He will reveal to you what His will was for you.
But you have to have patience and you need to stand firm in your faith in order to get that revelation. God will not be able to speak to you if you are filled with unbelief or are unwilling to listen. You need to be able to humble yourself before Him and be open to understanding.
Be Eternity Minded
Finally, when faced with disappointment don’t let it make you stop believing. Don’t let it steal your hope. Keep a firm hold on your faith. How can you do this? By being eternity minded.
You need to remember that your life does not only comprise of the here and now. It’s not all about what you get or don’t get on this side of heaven. That doesn’t mean you should settle for half or that you should accept hardship all your life. God desires for us to have a prosperous and abundant life here on earth. (John 10:10)
But it is also important to remember that it doesn’t end here. God has promised us a beautiful and bright eternity, a new heaven and a new earth where we will lack nothing and know no sorrow. (Revelation 21:1-4)
You need to see the bigger picture and remember that our faith is not based on our situation or circumstances on Earth. Our faith is based on the hope of resurrection and eternal life.
Don’t Lose Faith
So whether you get what you desire or you get disappointed remember this promise. Don’t lose faith and don’t lose hope, for the best is yet to come.
