Disappointment stinks! I remember a time when I was sure that I was going to get the present I wanted for my birthday. I had dropped like 80 million hints about what I wanted, the color, even the size. There was no doubt in my mind that I would get the present I was wanting for my birthday.
So when my birthday came around, I opened box after box, secretly hoping the box I was opening had the present that I had wanted. However, when I had opened all my presents, I was missing the gift that I had tried so hard to hint at. I was shocked, how could everyone have forgotten the thing that I had wanted most?
I was truly disappointed. Life sometimes brings us disappointment. It might be in the form of a forgotten birthday present, a relationship breaking up, or something at school not going your way. Disappointment happens to everyone, but how can you deal with disappointment in healthy ways?
Let’s take a look at 1 Samuel 30:6 for some ideas on what to do when disappointment hits.
All the men in the army were sad and angry because their sons and daughters were taken as prisoners. The men were talking about killing David with stones. This upset David very much, but he found strength in the Lord his God. – 1 Samuel 30:6
- Don’t Take it out on others. The Guys in David’s army were mad because everyone they loved was taken prisoner. So what did they do? They took it out on David. They blamed David for the bad thing that happened and looked to take it out on him by killing him. This is a very unhealthy way to deal with discouragement and disappointment.
Taking it out on others is not a solution in the long run. If these guys would have taken it out on David they would have still not had their families back. So what would they have gained by taking it out on David? Not much. It would have been a temporary fix for a bigger problem which was not having their families. So in the face of disappointment, realize that taking it out on others is never a good solution. - Find strength in God. Even though David was upset too in this story, he did an amazing thing. He was able to stay encouraged and find his strength in God. Finding strength in God is an awesome thing to do in the face of disappointment. When you’re feeling sad, upset or disappointed, find strength in God. Focus on what His word says and encourage yourself in God.
Disappointment happens to everyone. However, you can make a decision how you respond to disappointment. You can choose to take it out on other people, or you can choose to take it to God. Taking your disappointment to God is a really great way to deal with it. God can help you through the situation and will be there for you each step of the way. Choose to love God and get His help in dealing with disappointment!
