My question for us today: Are you, am I, an "Ahab"? We may quickly shout out "NO!" I am not an overt idolater. I do not ignore the Word of God. I do not seek to kill anybody - much less a prophet from God. I am not a king or in any way politically powerful. However, do I ever sulk when I don't get my way? Ahab did ...
Are you prone to pouting when you don't get your way? I suspect that most of us will have to admit to that tendency. It begins in early childhood ... and I fear that we carry the it into adulthood. It happens when we are disappointed. And so we pout ... we feel sorry for ourselves ... we sulk ... we throw a personal, private, pity party for ourselves. So did Ahab ...
Examine yourself. How do you respond to the disappointments in your life? The dictionary definition of "disappoint": to fail to satisfy the hopes or expectations; leave unsatisfied.
Every one of us, at some point, must deal with disappointment - when something does not go the way we planned or when we do not get something (or someone) that we want. What to do.
1. Acknowledge it aloud to God. Tell Him what the disappointment is, how it feels to you and what your expectation was. This is done through prayer. But, be brutally honest! It's important so that you hear the words yourself.
2. Hear the Lord say to you, "My grace is sufficient for you" (2 Corinthians 12:9) That is the way that God responded to Paul when he was mightily disappointed over a denied healing. God's grace was sufficient for Paul ... and it is sufficient for you and I.
3. Recognize the role our culture has played in defining satisfaction for us. Then hear the words of Psalm 90:14 "Satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days." God's unfailing love for you is THE source of satisfaction.
4. Praise the Lord. Read aloud before Him the words of Psalm 103: 1 - 5:
Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name.
Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits -
who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
Jack Hayford says that the most important way to deal with disappointment is to change the "d" at the beginning of the word to an "h". And 'disappointment' becomes 'His appointment' for you. Hayford says to do that ... "Then, stand still and watch Him keep His appointment with your destiny." No pouting, no pity ... instead, praise.
Your #4 above is something I struggle with alot. When you are clenching your teeth in pain and frustration and it feels like a lie, it is hard to force out words of praise. And if God is looking at my heart He already knows that what is in there is not praise. Is that OK? (saying things you don't feel)
ReplyDeleteI understand! I don't think it is a lie if it is what your mind wants to do. God does know our hearts ...but I am determined to be a woman who praises and rejoices in God. So I tell Him how I feel - that I don't have one ounce of "natural desire" to offer praise. But - if my mind really wants to be able to grow that direction, I choose it ... I do it ... and God knows the "why".
ReplyDeleteOne story for you ... I have a friend who buried her husband way too early. In the soon aftermath as she struggled with depression and anger and loss ... she would look herself in the mirror each morning and say what her mind knew to be true. Her heart was not in gear ... her emotions were far from there ...but she determined by her will to say this aloud ...
"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.'" (Lamentations 3: 22 - 24)
And, I believe, slowly the emotions catch up!
So even when my heart isn't overjoyed, reminding myself of plain old "facts" I know about God still counts for praise? This is good to know, and I'm going to print some of these verses out to use when I can't honestly "sing for joy and be glad" (your #3). Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteGail, this reminded me of something Elisabeth Elliot says:
ReplyDelete"The clothes we wear are what people see. Only God can look on the heart. The outward signs are important. They reveal something of what is inside. If charity is there, it will become visible outwardly, but if you have no charitable feelings, you can still obey the command. Put it on as simply and consciously as you put on a coat. You choose it; you pick it up; you put it on. This is what you want to wear."
I like the metaphor of putting on attitudes like we put on clothes (which we do every time we leave the house, and nobody calls us liars just because we didn't feel like getting dressed that day). Isaiah 61 speaks of a "garment of praise." In that context I can dress the part no matter how I feel at the time. Great thoughts!