Dealing with Disappointment Part 3 of 3

Image courtesy of Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The second thing I remembered were a few verses that I love and were great reminders. "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 (ESV) Give thanks in all circumstances. Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. Not easy tasks really. Not in this world. But how refreshing it felt to give thanks amidst the pain. To dwell on the much and not the little. It was as if I was looking at a globe and noticing one particular spot and as I praised, the globe shifted until I was looking at something entirely different. Same globe, different perspective. 

And all this disappointment led me back to the verse I posted for last week. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11 (ESV) You may think that’s a stretch, but not really. In the midst of my disappointment I thought, “Geez, good news of great joy sounds wonderful about now. I am tired of this bad news.” And you know what? That’s what makes the good news so wonderful! This world is bad news. We are bad news. The good news is that there’s a way out. Jesus came to be born on Christmas, God in flesh (which is so amazing) to live the good life that we couldn’t, a perfect life. He died a death we deserve and rose again defeating death once and for all. He made a way for us to shed our lives engulfed in bad news now and bad news to come and gave us good news, for now and to come. For those who put their trust in Him you can have “great joy” always because the front page headline of your paper will always read JESUS WINS. The other articles may have some headlines that aren’t so pleasant but just shift your eyes back to the front page and remember the “Good News.”

“I have said these things to you, that in me [Jesus] you will have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16: 33 (ESV)