Something disappointed me recently, and I asked God to protect my heart … to not let it discourage me.
He did protect my heart. I fell asleep with that prayer on my lips, and I woke up lighter of heart and genuinely carefree. I felt the victory of not succumbing to disappointment’s strong sway. The new and welcomed lightness made me laugh aloud, and I said to myself, “It is like there is a shield around me, and He is protecting my heart. I feel it! I shouldn’t feel this good after experiencing that kind of rejection, but I do feel good. I know this is the Lord meeting my need, encouraging me as only He can.”
How grateful I was for this answer to prayer. In the past, I had not always won this battle over disappointment, but God was teaching me through each experience of disappointment, discouragement, and rejection that I should not let it stop me. I shouldn’t let these negative circumstances bring defeat.
With each encounter, I have learned a little more, and I certainly know it isn’t wise to let disappointment become a dark cloud that follows me around like a repeating message in my mind or a broken record skipping over the same spot.
The important issue with disappointment is not to let it stop us but rather to glory in it as Paul writes: And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Disappointment can bruise our egos … make us doubt we are capable.
Good can come out of disappointment when we look inside, accept the disappointment, and find the will to go on anyway. It also helps to realize disappointment happens to all of us. Rising above disappointment is a valuable life lesson we all learn at one time or another.
Choosing to overcome disappointment builds strong character and strong hearts, bringing a healthy balance in our lives that will help us cope with all that life holds.
When disappointment knocks you down, let perseverance pick you up.
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Kathy Cheek has been a writer for the Christian market for fifteen years. She has written two devotionals, First Breath of Morning: Where God Waits for You Every Day and Clay: Reflections on the Life God Is Shaping in Us. She and her husband live in Dallas, Texas, and have two daughters, two sons-in-law, and grandchildren who also reside in the Dallas area. You can visit her at www.kathycheek.com.