God has allowed me to walk through some gut-wrenching disappointments in the past six years. Though of course I’ve walked through many disappointments throughout my life, as we all do, this season has been especially amplified with challenges and heartache.
But knowing Christ and knowing His Word has anchored my soul.
We’ve all walked through disappointments. It’s a reality of life. Some disappointments are minor. Some are hefty. And some are life-altering. The reality is that sometimes a deep disappointment is not resolvable. Sometimes we are deprived of resolution of any sort, and an unwanted, sorrowful situation is our new normal.
When an excruciatingly disappointing event isn’t going away any time soon, crashing into our once fairly happy life, we’re left wondering what now? How do we manage our emotions, our desires, our aching hearts? How do we overcome the acute pain reverberating in our souls?
The answer is: Yes, by God’s grace. Here are specific suggestions and verses to help you when disappointment hits hard:
Focus is everything. Our intense disappointment, however awful, heartbreaking, or unjust, must not become the center of our lives. Yes, we must process. Yes, we can seek wise, godly counsel. Yes, we can ask a close, godly friend or family member for much-needed prayer support. But we must not wallow in the details. We must not obsess over the hurt. We must resist the urge to tell the entire world. We must erect sacred parameters in our minds that prevent us from mentally camping in a very bad place.
The best way to shift our focus is through (1) prayer and (2) meditating on Scripture.
Prayer is Vital. We must pray – hard and often. We can frequently lift the situation to the Lord, as many times as it takes. As God’s own sons and daughters, we reverently cry out – loudly and with tears to Him for intervention. We appeal to Him for healing, for change. Did you know this is exactly how our Lord Jesus prayed?
During his earthly life, he offered prayers and appeals with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. (Hebrews 5:7)
As we pray – daily, over and over, we entrust every single detail to Almighty God. We thank Him for hearing us. We thank Him for strengthening us. We actually do Philippians 4:6-7.
Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Prayerfully relinquishing our every concern over every detail – the very moment it sparks in our brains – is precisely how we walk in peace. Praying causes God’s supernatural peace to literally guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. This is holy warfare, on our knees, crying out to the One who can either calm the storm or calm us.
3 Bible verses that have helped me – and continue to help me as I live in the reality of disappointment without allowing it to utterly devastate me. Focusing on these verses strengthens us. Fills us with holy hope. Covers our hearts in peace.
- When crushing disappointment causes your heart to fear, and you feel completely alone, shift your focus to:
Isaiah 41:10 “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.”
- When you feel overwhelmed and mentally, spiritually and emotionally weak, focus on:
2 Timothy 4:17 “But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me…”
- When you grieve over how things have turned out and feel close to despair, focus on one of the best promises in all of Scripture. I literally pray this verse every single night:
Romans 8:28 “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”
My fervent hope is that you will print out or write down these verses for yourself and meditate on them day and night. Allow the truth of God’s Word to override and supersede the reality of every disappointment.
May God’s soul-transforming Word help you to: Live. In. Triumph.
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