How to Lean on the Lord in Disappointing Times
Do you need encouragement as you aim to lean on the Lord in a disappointing situation? Today, I invite you into our family’s world for a few practical insights on leaning on God.
How to Lean on the Lord in Disappointing Times
A few days before our son Caleb’s fourth birthday, I asked him what he wanted to do for fun. He requested a walk to the creek, and I threw out my plans for the day to take him to the woods.
As sat along the quiet bank of the creek, I let him talk about his hopes and dreams.
He was most excited about his upcoming birthday.
“How old are you going to be next week?” I asked my boy.
“Seven!” he answered without hesitation. His older sister was seven at the time.
“No, buddy, you’re going to be four,” I reminded him. “Four.”
“Door,” he attempted to repeat, nodding his head in agreement as if he’d known all along.
It was the same conversation we’d been having all summer. Whenever I asked how old he was turning in August, he told me he’d be seven. He seemed to be wishing his life away already.
Are You Wishing Your Life Away?
Sometimes I’m more like little Caleb than I realize. I get too caught up in where I’m going. I forget that sometimes God’s best gifts happen on the journey toward my goals.
Here’s the problem: When my plans to reach my goals fall apart, I lose sight of the journey and focus only on escaping the mess surrounding me.
Like Caleb, I don’t appreciate where I’m at because I can think only of where I want to be next.
I wonder if you can relate.
We all face failed plans. Our days don’t go the way we hope. Even worse, big dreams crash and burn. Life fails to meet our expectations.
What’s the right response when all the best-made plans fall to pieces at your feet?
How should you respond when you thought this would be the year you’d find the husband, move up in the company, launch the business, go back to school, or have the baby, but nothing turned out the way you hoped?
How to Lean on the Lord Amid Disappointment
Maybe your life hasn’t turned out the way you planned and you’re facing discouragement. Here are four truths to help you lean on the Lord while you wait.
1. Lean on the Lord by remembering that God has not stopped working in your life.
Much of God’s transforming work takes place while we wait.
When your circumstances don’t work out according to your plans, God is still working.
He is leading you into a deeper and closer relationship with him. Don’t give up or turn your back on him in offense. Blessed is the one who is not offended when her plans fall by the wayside and her expectations are not met.
2. Lean on the Lord by reminding yourself he is always with you.
Before ascending to heaven, Jesus’ last words were, “I am with you until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
Don’t lose heart. God hasn’t given up on you.
He has given you the Holy Spirit to counsel and encourage you. Keep pressing forward, one step at a time.
3. Remember that God waits for you to encounter his gifts on the way to your goal.
I tend to fix both eyes on a goal and press after it with my whole heart.
I have little patience for roadblocks and confusing forks in the road of life. Over time, I’ve observed that when God calls me to pursue something, I tend to rush to my own conclusions about what it ought to look like and how the timing should unfold.
Meanwhile, God is more concerned about the journey than the destination.
He is more concerned about molding my character, teaching me long-suffering, or developing the fruit of patience in my life. Often, your journey is not all about the goal. God gives the greatest gifts in the process.
4. Remember that achieving your goal was never the most important thing.
Experiencing God’s love and sharing it with others are your highest callings in life. It’s easy to become so bent on reaching self-ordained destinations that we forget all about keeping the first thing first.
The journey was meant to draw you into a deeper relationship with God. Don’t lose sight of the highest calling.
Trusting God with your disappointment can be difficult. You don’t have to have trust figured out. Ask Jesus to help you trust him when you feel uncertain and confused. His grace is sufficient in every weakness in your life – including the struggle to trust.
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Caleb has been four for several months and seems to be embracing the age. Last week I asked how old he’ll be on his next birthday, and he said, “Six!”
I guess we’re making progress.
A Free Devotional Book to Help You Lean on the Lord:
Lastly, I have a gift for you. Would you like to connect with God in ways that breathe fresh life into your weary soul? The Weary Woman’s 20-Day Devotional is my free online devotional to help you connect with God in your worn and weary seasons. You will find 20 daily readings to help you find refreshment in God’s presence. Click here and I’ll send it to your email inbox today!
These Two Books are Free on Kindle Unlimited as eBooks and Also Available in Print:
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life. Find this life-changing book in eBook form for free on the Kindle Unlimited Plan or for 12.99 in print right here. (You can sign up for a free three-month Kindle Unlimited trial if you are not a member.) This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!
Calling All Moms and Daughters!
Additionally, my 12-year-old daughter, Bekah, and I wrote a mother-daughter devotional book to help mothers and daughters grow closer together while connecting with God. Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith includes 60 devotions with Scripture, commentaries from both of us, conversation starters, and even a shared journaling section. Multitudes of mothers, daughters, mentors, and younger women are being transformed by this book! You can find this book in eBook form for free on the Kindle Unlimited Plan or buy a print copy for 11.99 right here.
