Disappointment

You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them (Nehemiah 9:17).

Disappointment. We’ve all experienced it. You might have worked hard to get your dream job, only to find out that it didn’t live up to your expectations. You might have fallen madly in love, but time revealed flaws in your partner’s character. We’ve all been let down by somebody we trusted. Each of us has gotten frustrated by an inability to stick with a diet or give up a bad habit.

So, how do you respond to disappointment? Some people get mad. Their words are laced with insults and criticism. They are always ready for a fight. They are quick to blame others for whatever is aggravating them. They won’t feel better until they spread their frustration around.

Others respond to disappointment by giving up. They walk away from relationships. They flit from one job to another. They drown their sorrows with liquor, ice cream, or casual sex. They feel sorry for themselves, and they end up alone in self-imposed isolation.

Thankfully, there are people who respond to disappointment in a healthy way—they try to make things better. They take the time to examine a problem from every possible angle. They consult with others before deciding on a course of action. Then they make a commitment to changing things and see it through, even if there are challenges to overcome. For them, disappointment is a spur to take corrective action.

So it was with God. When humanity chose sin over holiness, God was greatly disappointed. But He did not let anger dictate His behavior; He did not wipe us out. Nor did He give up on us; God chose to stay involved in our lives instead of just walking away. Disappointment moved God to fix the problem we had created. Father, Son and Holy Spirit consulted with each other and devised a plan—the Son would join us in our humanity and pay the penalty for our wrongs. This was no easy thing—rebellion against God earns hell and that is what Jesus suffered on the cross, the hell you and I deserve. But God was committed to restoring the holiness we had treated so casually. No matter how badly we disappoint the LORD, His love keeps working to make us better.