Overcoming the Sting of Disappointment

I sat quietly in the stillness of the early morning to collect my thoughts and pray. A place where I go to sort out what’s true and what is not when life throws darts and my heart is the target.

Things like gossip, unnecessary words, rejection and feelings of helplessness. This is what circled around in my mind as I pondered a string of events that walked right into my world without asking and tried to stay awhile. I saw myself headed straight to the feet of disappointment as warm tears ran down my cheeks and I wondered....

Why am I not stronger?

Why do I feel like I’m not enough?

Why, when I need it the most, don’t my feelings align with truth?

I sat alone with the Lord apologizing for everything I could have possibly done wrong that played a part in these soul shaking moments and prayed for a drop of wisdom to respond in a healthy way while asking.....

How do I move from a place of defeat and live from a place of victory when circumstances seem to crush me?

In that desperate moment I heard a whisper saying....

“Above all, love each other fervently because love covers a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8

If I am honest, that is not the response I expected. So I asked, how do we not only love when we’re hurt, but love fervently?

I took this whisper and began digging a little deeper.

If you look at the context of this verse you find that Peter is telling the church that the end of all things is at hand....

• Jesus has returned

• Life will end

• And it will be us standing before Him

Peter encouraged Christians that were being persecuted and abused, not to be surprised at the fiery ordeals that come to them as though something strange were happening to them. But to rejoice as you participate in the sufferings of Christ. (1 Peter 4:12-13)

So what does that look like from a practical standpoint as we walk through the sting of disappointment?

When we stand before Jesus with our eyes on the prize......regret is the last thing we want as an offering to the One who selflessly gave Himself for all our ugly, right?

So I knew in an instant, just like that, what He was saying to me.....”this is not happening to you, it’s an opportunity for you”.

An opportunity to love the unlovable, forgive when it hurts, and give grace when it’s undeserving. In fact, Proverbs 19:11 says, “A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.” That’s what love does....it covers!

It’s Agape love, a divine, sacrificial love..... the love Jesus gave when He endured the cross for me and you.

So, if we are living this out…..If we are living with our mind on what regrets we don’t want to have when we stand before God, what will we do in the midst of these kinds of disappointments?

The answer: “Above all things love each other fervently.”

That word fervent means to stretch out. So however much love is easy for you to show, give a little bit more than that.

It’s this kind of love that gives us the ability to look beyond the circumstance and to see the real enemy. When we give people permission to live out their human frailty we stretch love beyond our own capability and show them the love of Jesus. This is a moment of impact!

And just like that you find yourself in the winners circle tasting the sweet place of victory!

Is there someone in your life today that the Lord is asking you to loosen that tight grip of unforgiveness and love fervently?

I want to encourage you my friend, you are not alone in this battle to overcome evil with good. We have a friend in Jesus who gives us everything we need to rise up and say, not today Satan!

I pray this message meets you in your hard places and fills you with courage to walk out life's challenging moments with hope to be all He calls you to do..

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for not leaving us alone in the land of disappointment. May we surrender our weary hearts and trust you to fill our cup so that it overflows with a fervent love for others.

In Jesus Name, Amen