Disappointed in God: How to Handle Spiritual Frustration
Regardless of the depth and strength of our faith, most of us will be disappointed in God at some point in our lives.
When God doesn’t heal our loved ones, bring our great dreams to pass, or answer our prayers according to our hopes, it’s easy to feel disappointed in him.
We all face times when we struggle to make sense of God’s work in our lives. I invite you to join our family on a chilly Christmas morning, and we’ll talk about how to navigate those times in life when God’s ways don’t make sense to us.
Disappointed in God
It is Christmas morning here in Pennsylvania. This is the morning God bends down to meet us. This is the day we celebrate a groaning mother’s messy morning in a manger, the birth of a Messiah who comes quietly and unexpectedly.
The world didn’t expect the Messiah to arrive in this way, wrapped in the flesh of a wailing newborn.
Perhaps there’s a greater lesson for us all today: God often fails to meet our expectations.
What do we do when this happens, when God doesn’t meet our expectations?
Christmas stirs hope in the reminder that Jesus has come and that he will one day return and make all things new. It stirs hopes for happy children and delicious meals gathered around tables with loved ones.
As you read these words today, it probably isn’t Christmas morning. Nevertheless, let’s have an honest moment. Just as holidays that are meant to be wonderful and joyful often fail to meet our expectations, sometimes, God disappoints us too.
At times, God doesn’t meet our expectations.
What do we do when feel disappointed in God?
How do you step into a new season, embrace a painful situation, and trust God when he doesn’t show up in all the ways you expected? #trustingGod #faithinGod #unmetexpectations Share on X
When Life Doesn’t Make Sense and You’re Disappointed in God
Scripture offers practical insight from none other than Mary, the mother of Jesus.
The angel Gabriel has just appeared to inform Mary that she will soon give birth to the Son of God. Mary is concerned about how this will happen, especially since she is still a virgin. Gabriel assures Mary that it will be the work of the Holy Spirit.
Let’s pause and reflect on this familiar story.
Let’s not allow familiarity to lead us to gloss over the details.
God has just thrown Mary the curve ball of all curve balls. Not only is she an unwed virgin who now has a story no one will believe, but she has also been told that she is about to give birth to the promised Messiah, the long-awaited Son of God.
Perhaps God has thrown you a curve ball or two throughout this past year, too. It might have come in the form of a diagnosis, the loss of someone you deeply loved, the downfall of a dream, or a disappointment so grave that your life is forever shaken. You might feel like God let you down.
What are we to do when God doesn’t make sense?
Mary’s response to the angel offers wisdom for our most troubled, fearful, overwhelming, and disappointing moments. Mary says to Gabriel, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38 NASB).
In the words of this simple phrase, Mary exhibits three attitudes that offer to carry us through the moments when God doesn’t make sense:
1. Express commitment to God, even when you don’t understand what he is doing.
The Greek word for “bondslave” can also be translated, “handmaid” or “female slave.”
In the original language, the word denotes a woman who has wholly given herself to the service of the one she serves. By calling herself God’s bondslave, Mary emphasizes her whole-hearted commitment to serve and follow God, even when the details do not make sense.
Most likely, the details surrounding your unexpected circumstances don’t make sense.
You haven’t caught a glimpse of the fully pieced-together puzzle.
Tell God that you trust him, even with what you cannot see. If you don’t trust him just yet, ask him to help you grow in trust.
Next, commit to keep following him, even when the path before you is not yet illuminated. He promises to provide just enough light for you to keep putting one foot in front of another (see Psalm 119:105).
2. Surrender to his plan even when you’re disappointed in God.
Mary could have listed dozens of reasons why an unexpected pregnancy was a bad idea. She could have pled for God to make a different way.
Have you ever paused to consider why Jesus would come into the world in a way that seemed just a little scandalous?
Mary was expecting a baby, and she and Joseph both knew that Joseph was not the father. Mary’s response to the high calling to carry the Son of God is compelling: She surrendered to God’s will before she knew how his plan would unfold. She surrendered before she knew whether or not Joseph would stay with her or choose to divorce her quietly.
Is there an area of your life in which you sense God calling you to submit to a plan that doesn’t make sense in your mind? Pause to consider what it would look like to surrender to this plan today.
3. When you’re disappointed in God, reject self-reliance.
The Greek word for bondservant signifies a master and slave who are literally tied together.
If you are struggling to embrace some part of your life today, will you cling to God as if you are tied to him?
Will you express your desire to follow him, even into places you don’t understand?
You might feel tempted to come up with your own plan or turn away from him. Today I gently challenge you to resist the urge to turn from God. Turn toward him instead. He has a plan for you, and his plans for you are good.
You can trust him. Ask him to reveal reveal his trustworthiness to you and wait with eager expectations. His timing rarely matches our timing, but he will move in his perfect timing.
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Calling all moms and daughters!
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