We rejoice in the hope of God’s glory. …And hope does not disappoint. -Romans 5:2, 5
Have you ever been disappointed? If not, I would like to meet you.
It’s no fun. It can be devastating. So no one likes it.
For followers of Jesus (Christians) disappointment can be especially problematic. We can be disappointed with circumstances and events. But the disappointments often are in people. A close friend, a husband, a wife, other family members disappoint us. That can be especially painful. The church can disappoint us. But the most difficult of all disappointments is disappointment with/in God.
But have you ever thought about the first cause of disappointment? What precedes any such experience? What is a prior necessity to your being disappointed? It begins with expectation. That is the prerequisite to disappointment.
Sometime ago I wrote about the place expectations play in the Christian gospel and life. God’s promises form a foundation for Christian understanding and living. But wrong expectations and the resulting disappointments are a great danger to faith.
Expectations that God will shield you from all difficulties, make you successful, and such are inevitably pathways to disappointment with God. And disappointment with God is of all things the worst. It can easily shut the door to real faith and confidence. God is not a cosmic Santa Claus that fulfills all our childish and sinful desires. He does not rescue us from disappointments resulting from wrong expectations.
But our hope in what God has done for us in Jesus will not disappoint us.
Filed under: belief, Discipleship, Faith, The Journey | Tagged: anticipation, Christian, disappointment, expectancy |
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