For When You're Disappointed by God

I climb onto the elliptical as a new day dawns, and I have no motivation to follow through with my usual routine. I’m feeling disappointed by God, and I’m not sure I feel like going through the motions today.

I don’t feel like working hard, sweating, or watching a motivational message about God and all of his goodness.

Maybe it’s the lack of energy lately.

Maybe it’s the early morning cries from the little boy’s room that drew me from sleep three hours earlier than usual.

Or maybe it’s the disappointment.

Lately, I’ve been disappointed by a shattered dream. Everything I had planned for and hoped for has been thrown out the window like chaff in the wind, and I am alone here with my broken heart. I have no clue as to what the next step on this journey is supposed to look like.

I feel utterly stuck and entirely shattered.

The Truth About Disappointment in Life

Most of us have been disappointed that the hand of God didn’t move differently at some point in our lives.

I’ve been disappointed over the bad breakups that came with the latter years of adolescence, hard friendship struggles, failed diets, rejected article ideas, career mishaps, and so much more. Life’s just disappointing sometimes.

Most of us are disappointed that the hand of God didn’t move differently at some point in our lives. #disappointment #encounteringGod Share on X

I’m not thinking about these things as I climb onto the elliptical. I’m thinking about whether or not the little boy has cereal in his bowl upstairs and what’s coming next in our lives.

I’m considering these things as I open the laptop. I click on a message by Steven Furtick, pastor of Elevation Church, and he says these words: “Following Jesus can be a very disappointing experience sometimes.”

Yes, I think. Yes, it can.

What to Do When You’re Disappointed by God

Most of us start following Jesus with the hope that he will improve our lives.

We hope that following him means our dreams will come to fruition, our hearts will never again be broken, and we’ll never find ourselves huddled in the corner, just praying for daylight.

Meanwhile, Jesus doesn’t promise freedom from pain, suffering, or disappointments. He promises just the opposite: He promises that in this life we will have trouble (John 16:33).

Pastor Steven’s illustrations send my mind to a different season of my life.

I was somewhere in my early twenties and had joined a few friends at a Bruce Springsteen concert.

We ended up sitting right under the air conditioner at the very top of a huge arena, and we shivered through “Dancing in the Dark,” “Born in the USA,” and all the other classics. Finally, nearing the end of the concert, my friends convinced me we should leave early and beat the rush of the emptying stadium.

I resisted, still waiting for The Boss to play my favorite song, “Thunder Road.”

When my friends insisted that staying wasn’t an option, I finally agreed to leave. As we walked from the arena and hustled toward the car, I heard the familiar words from somewhere distant. He was playing my song, and I had left the arena prematurely.

My First Reaction When I’m Disappointed by God

I’m much the same as my eager-to-bolt friends when life gets hard. I want nothing more than to rush out of the arena of my pain and get on with the next thing, to beat the traffic and be on my way.

Friend, I have a question for us all today.

What if God is calling us to stay in the arena, even when staying gets uncomfortable?

What if he’s asking us to sit in the middle of our disappointments and not leave the stadium?

We have a wide array of choices when we feel disappointed by God. Some of us rush through the pain and get on with the next thing. Others try to fix the painful circumstances. Some of us numb ourselves to escape the pain.

God’s Invitation for the Hard Moments of Your Life

But what if there’s a better way?

We can allow disappointment to lead us closer to God.

We can dig deeply into his Word and read the truth that will slowly heal us.

I believe God longs for us to sit with him in the middle of our pain without trying to hurry to the other side. He gently nudges us to look for reasons to give thanks amid the disappointment.

Friend, I know your disappointment hurts. I know it has caused you to question God’s goodness. My prayer is for you to keep a soft heart. Remain open to the ways God wants to shape your heart through the struggle. Don’t leave the arena of your pain prematurely. The deepest disappointments are often the most powerful platforms for God to work in your life.

~~~

I manage to finish an entire workout, and when I’m finished, I’m glad I pushed through the weary morning. I turn on that old song about Mary and her dress waving. As Bruce sings, I cling to the faith that there is goodness, even in this season. And all the while, thunder trembles outside as Bruce sings softly through the speakers.

An Invitation for When You Are Disappointed by God:

Let’s make this practical. If you need help drawing near to God, I have a gift for you.

Hope for Hard Days is my free 10-day online devotional to help you hold onto hope when life is tough. You will find 10 readings to help you connect with God and claim his peace. Click here and I’ll send it to your email inbox today for free with promo code HOPE.

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