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dealing with disappointment

Hello, friends! I want to talk about a topic that most of us are very familiar with – disappointment. It’s something we’ve all experienced at some point, and I believe it’s worth diving into because it’s both relatable and an area where I’ve been recently and personally challenged. I also want to add how attentive and intentional the Lord is – as I was writing this blog, I received news that flooded me with heartbreak. But since this message was so fresh on my heart and mind, He knew it was the perfect moment for me to receive the news. Almost like He has perfect timing, who would’ve thought?!

In a world filled with so much pain, brokenness, and unmet expectations, it’s hard to willingly choose joy. It’s even harder to remain faithful to the Lord’s will for our lives when things don’t go the way we hoped. And the truth is – it’s okay to recognize that it’s hard. Like really hard. Living life for Jesus often means facing struggles, trials, and moments of doubt, but it’s important to also remember we are not walking it alone.

I emphasized how hard it is to live a life for the Lord because I don’t want anyone – whether new to faith or years into their journey – to feel discouraged or unworthy when it gets difficult. Disappointment does not disqualify you, and struggling does not mean you’re failing in your faith. It’s often in those moments of hardship that God is able to shape us, strengthen us, and draw us closer to Him.

Thinking about disappointment makes me think about Joseph in the book of Genesis. A little background on Joseph’s story, he was favored by his parents which developed envy and resentment among his brothers. Joseph’s brothers plotted against him and sold him into slavery where he was taken to Egypt. While Joseph was in Egypt, he faced many trials and challenges, such as being falsely accused of crimes that eventually led to his imprisonment.

I’m sure we all have our own stories about how disappointment or heartbreak clouded our vision for a season. Maybe not to Joseph’s level, but I have been betrayed by people I trusted, faced unexpected news, or had my carefully laid out plans fall apart. But Joseph’s story always inspires me because even in his hardships, he remained faithful to God and refused to blame his misfortunes on God. The disappointment Joseph felt was not from God – it was from other broken and hurting people.

I want to encourage someone the same way the Holy Spirit encouraged me in my disappointment – God’s plans always exceed the weight of our disappointments. Spoiling the story for you a bit, Joseph’s faithfulness eventually led to his rise in Egypt, where he was able to save countless lives, including those of his own family who caused him the heartbreak in the first place.

A verse I have clung to for months that never fails to shift my perspective is Romans 8:18, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” Paul wrote this in his letter acknowledging that Christians will experience some form of suffering. For me, I like to consider suffering, broken dreams, redirection, grief, etc. all substitutional in this verse. Anything that causes a temporary feeling of pain or disappointment is simply just that – temporary and fleeting.

When I think about this verse, it widens my perspective. Even though I feel disappointed in a particular moment, I know that I am part of a larger, divine plan. My current perspective and my eternal perspective look very different.

I wanted to talk about this topic because this was something I had to learn recently, and as mentioned above, I need to cling to it daily because disappointment and hardships are all around us. To be completely transparent with you, last semester, I struggled with ADHD so much that I ended up failing a class in my doctorate program, which resulted in a one-year delay in graduating. I also experienced the loss of relationships and trust in some people that I thought were going to be in my life forever.

In both circumstances, I was so focused on the answers to my situation that I wasn’t able to see the gift that was behind it. At first, I was super disappointed in myself and even in God. Why was He allowing this to happen to me?

I’ve mentioned this verse before, but Psalms 30:5b says, “Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” Along with this verse, Lamentations 3:22-23, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

Every day is a new opportunity for renewal regardless of our circumstances. Whatever you are walking through – whether it’s betrayal, change in plans, or even your own failures – know that God is with you in it. Disappointment is very real, but so is God’s goodness. If today feels heavy, remember tomorrow is a new day. If you’ve been hurt today, tomorrow is a new day. If you’ve fallen into sin today, tomorrow is a new day. And I promise He will never highlight what you did wrong after you’ve repented to Him. He chooses to forget all of our sins against Him because that is Who He is – His love and mercy always remain constant.

Looking back now on what I deemed as a setback, I can see how God has used that delay for my good. I can see how He used the separation from certain people to allow the overflow of more fulfilling and encouraging relationships. I can see how He used my complete brokenness as a catalyst to grow me closer to Him and His purpose for my life. What initially felt like a setback for me was actually divine redirection where He showed me that what I thought I had “lost” was actually a setup for something greater to come.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10: “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Paul doesn’t see his brokenness as a burden. Instead, he embraces it, knowing that when he is weak, God’s strength is made even more evident in his life. His hardships aren’t just struggles to endure, rather they are moments where Christ’s power is made perfect.

A song I recently heard, “Power Made Perfect” by Covenant Worship, Nikki Moltz, and John Marc Kohl, speaks about this verse. The entire song is beautiful, and I highly encourage you to sit with the Lord and meditate on the lyrics, but there is a part that says:
I fight fear with surrender
I find hope in Your Presence
I know Your power’s made perfect here
I fight doubt with Your promise
I find peace in Your Presence
I know Your power’s made perfect here

These lyrics echo the heart of Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. Our surrender is where God’s power is revealed. In fear, we lean into His Presence. In doubt, we cling to His promises. In weakness, His power is made perfect.

Our perspective may be limited, but God’s is eternal. What feels like a loss today may be part of a divine plan you’ll only understand in hindsight. Friend, I encourage you to seek the Lord’s face in your disappointment. Something I have found to be true time and time again is that my brokenness is worship. Your brokenness is worship. When we bring our disappointments to the Lord, we’re not just venting to Him – we’re worshipping.

For some deeper proof from scripture to support this:
Psalm 51:6 tells us how God desires our authenticity rather than perfection.
Psalm 34:18 reinforces the idea that brokenness draws the Lord near to us.
Lamentations 2:19 expresses how our raw, honest emotions are welcomed by the Lord.
John 4:23-24 tells us worship comes from a genuine heart; not about faking it.
1 Peter 5:7 reminds us God is not just willing to listen, but that He cares deeply about every worry, fear, and disappointment we bring to Him.
Isaiah 61:3 emphasizes that when we bring our brokenness to His feet, there is an exchange for us to receive beauty, joy, and praise.

I hope this word encourages you just as much as it encouraged me as the Lord spoke this in my heart. Let’s remind ourselves that no matter what happens in our lives, we serve a God who redeems, renews, and never gives up on us. Disappointment and brokenness are never the end of the story. Thank you for reading, friend!