Life is a wonderful thing. And while life is full of joy and happiness, there will also be times of disappointment. The key is how will we respond to the disappointment.
Some will pull away or pull back. When someone lets us down, our natural reaction is to distance ourselves from that person. In doing that, our defensive mechanism protects us from further hurt and disappointment. That may be possible in some situations, but what about when a family member disappoints you? Distance isn’t necessarily the answer.
Others may respond by “repaying evil with evil.” That may take on a number of forms, but the heart of it is that if you have hurt me, I will hurt you back. This can be done with a guilt trip, holding past baggage over someone’s head. It can be done by reacting and doing something that would disappoint the other party. Whatever the action, reaction is not the solution.
How should we deal with disappointment? Jesus gave us a prime example. When he was arrested, one of His closest followers, Peter, denied he even knew Jesus three times. Jesus must have been disappointed, but He didn’t react either defensively or offensively. Instead, He responded with love and compassion. Jesus restored Peter and affirmed that He still wanted Peter to fulfill his calling in life. Read the story in John 21.
If Jesus treated those who disappointed Him that way, shouldn’t we also treat others the same? Believe in people, give second chances, and as long as it isn’t overly dangerous, let grace overcome the hurt of disappointment.
-Pastor Arlen
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