One thing we all experience, saved or unsaved, is disappointment. The word basically describes our mindset when our hopes or expectations aren’t satisfied.

As children, we’re disappointed when we don’t get the toy we wanted; when the popular school kids reject us, or when our parents break their promises.

In adulthood, we become discouraged when relationships don’t work out. We are crushed when we don’t get the job or get turned down for a bank loan.

Disappointment is such a part of life that we see it all around us and in some cases have grown immune to the pain it causes others. One of the most successful reality TV shows, American Idol, showcases the disappointment of hopefuls who think they are talented singers, but get voted off the show.

They typically smile and thank the judges for giving them a chance. Still, I can imagine them going home and boo-hooing over a let-down that will take time to overcome.

Disappointments can hurt deeply, but as Christians we should not see it through the same eyes as nonbelievers. In Genesis, where the story of Joseph is outlined, we learn how God can use our disappointments for His glory.

Time and time again, Joseph is disappointed by life’s unexpectedly cruel turns.

Early on, he dreams that his brothers will bow down to him. Already, he is the favored son with a coat of many colors. Yet, instead of treating him as royalty, Joseph’s brothers throw him into a pit and sell him into slavery.

After surviving that storm, Joseph later meets two men in prison and interprets their dreams. He asks one of them, the chief butler, to remember him when the butler is released and in a position to help Joseph get out of prison. Well, the butler was released, but he forgot all about Joseph for two full years.

Can you imagine Joseph sitting in jail, growing more disappointed with each passing day?

Like Joseph, our lessons from life’s disappointment often come at the end of the pain. After enduring one trial after another, Joseph becomes a leader in Egypt and his brothers eventually do bow down to him, as his dream years earlier had predicted. When his brothers finally apologize for their misdeeds, Joseph responds by telling them not to worry: “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” (Gen. 50:20)

Disappointment had matured Joseph. Like him, we learn to accept that life isn’t all that we hoped it would be. The good thing for Christians is that when we are living in God’s will, our hopes and expectations can’t compare to the blessings that await us. That’s why when we look back at our disappointments we can rejoice, knowing that God has something far greater in store!

Sharon Tubbs is a professional journalist and is the founder of Christian Writers of Tampa Bay in Florida. Her book Milk & Honey: 10 Principles to Embracing Your Promised Land is available through her website, www.EmbraceYourLand.com. It can also be ordered at most major bookstores. Sharon Tubbs can be reached at EmbraceYourLand@verizon.net.

 

Copyright © 2007 Sharon Tubbs. All rights reserved.