DEALING WITH DISAPPOINTMENTS
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”- 1 Cor. 15:58
It is heart-breaking to see good people get in a bad place due to discouragement. It doesn’t have to happen. By taking great care we can avoid becoming a drop-out. But we have to start by dealing with our disappointments. We put ourselves in great danger if we don’t. If we allow our disappointments to discourage us it will deter us from our duty.
As servants of God we do what we do with the hope of success. We want to be fruitful as well as faithful. We want to see souls saved, lives changed, needs met, and God glorified. When our efforts seem to fail we are disappointed. We tell ourselves that even Jesus could do no mighty works in Nazareth, but we hope for better results. When it doesn’t happen the battle begins and we must defeat our disappointment lest it develops discouragement and ends in disaster.
Winning this battle is sometimes easier said than done. Sometimes we let our disappointment drain our energy, dash our hopes, and derail our progress. If we fail to fight through it our work comes to a screeching stop. The solution is not to decrease our desires. We wouldn’t be worth a plug nickel without a desire to do. But we must not expect every desire to be fulfilled immediately.
In times like these we must remember that it is God who gives the increase – we only plant the seed. Even our very best efforts will not always meet with the success we hope for, but we must press on. We must focus on being faithful and leave the results in God’s hands. One way or another, some day. Some how God will bless our efforts. Our labor in the Lord will not be in vain (I Cor.15:58). – HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346
