Aug 29, 2018 WOFCF Bible Study Explosion How to
Handle Disappointments No matter who you are, where you
live, what you do for a living, or how much money you have, you have
experienced disappointment. For example,
the job you wanted but did not get; when your favorite team lost a game…by a
point; the day the relationship you thought was so solid evaporated; the
unexpected loss of a loved one…and the list goes on. How should the believer in Christ face these
disappointments? Let us look at God’s Word for answers. God promises to protect,
comfort, strengthen, and guide those who love Him; those with whom He has a
personal relationship.
This includes the believing Christian (read Isaiah 43:1-2). “And we know that
for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are
called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). This verse is one of the most uplifting and
positive verses in the New Testament. It is a promise from God,
to those who are committed to Him, that nothing will happen in their lives that
God is not controlling…nothing. Sometimes we may not understand God’s
plan, but He is still in control and working everything out for our good and
His glory. That is a promise from God’s Word. What are your thoughts or scriptures you like to share? The apostle Paul reveals to us that God will sometimes use circumstances
to cause us to rely more fully on Him. “For we do not
want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia.
For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life
itself. Indeed, we felt that we had
received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on
ourselves but on God who raises the dead” (2
Corinthians 1:8-9 ESV). Christians must not allow themselves to begin to think that
God is bestowing His goodness on them because they deserve it. We must
not think that somehow, God saved us through His power,
but we will take it from here and live the Christian life in our power.
God may use hardships and disappointments to help us realize that we cannot live
holy lives apart from God. We are dependent on His love and His gracious
enabling. Still, in all that transpires, He is working out (Romans 8:28). What
are your thoughts or scriptures you like to share? When
people know that we serve the Lord, and they see us handling our difficulties
and disappointments by trusting in God, they see that our faith is real.
Trusting God in the tough times is a great witness to the world. The apostle
Paul knew this well. He had some sort of ailment or affliction with which
he struggled that caused him great grief. Paul turned to the Lord and
asked, three times, to be relieved of this ailment. What
was God’s answer? (let’s read 2 Corinthians 12:8-10). What an
incredible trust Paul had in the Lord! Many Christians believe that,
because they are saved, life should have no hardships whatever. However,
in this passage, Paul shatters that myth by
showing us that even his prayers were not answered the way he
wanted them answered. However, he also tells us that it is in times of
our greatest weakness and trouble that God is most powerfully at work in our
lives. Oh, that we could all be content with that attitude! What
are your thoughts or scriptures you like to share? (Read
Colossians 3:15). The words of Jesus, and the
words about Jesus, should be of great comfort to the believer who is
experiencing disappointment. “In this world you will have
tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John
16:33). In this verse, Jesus is telling his
disciples there is no doubt that they will experience toils and troubles in
their lives. However, He also promises them that He is more powerful than
anything they will face. Several
Bible passages tell us that we who are united with Jesus are overcomers with
Him: “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And
this is the victory that has overcome the world…our faith. Who is it that
overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of
God?” (1 John 5:4-5). Jesus puts our struggles into
perspective when He says, “…for he who is in you is greater than he who is
in the world” (I John 4:4). The apostle Paul tells us that “…in all
these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans
8:37). Jesus
also tells us that our relationship with Him will bring us inner
peace, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the
world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither
let them be afraid” (John 14:27). The peace that Jesus promises is
not the kind of peace the world offers; a peace based on ever-changing
circumstances. The kind of peace Jesus gives is a deep, lasting, powerful
peace that enables us to face any kind of hardship that may come along. Conclusion: So,
how should we face disappointments? We should understand that: 1.
God comforts His people. 2.
God is in control. 3.
God sometimes uses our disappointments to turn our hearts toward Him. 4.
God sometimes uses our disappointments as a witness of His sufficiency when we
trust Him in our times of need. 5.
Jesus is our strength and our refuge in the good times and the bad. No
one is more powerful than He is and no one loves us more than He does. What
are your thoughts or scriptures you like to share? |
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