“Letting Go and Letting God”: Dealing with Disappointment

Recently, I experienced disappointment. Upon hearing this news, I could not help but complain and feel sorry for myself. “Why would God take away this great opportunity from me?”, I thought. I so wallowed in my disappointment that I did not want to believe that anything good could come from the situation.

God Plans are Better Than Ours

My family and friends tried to make me feel better about the situation. They told me quite the opposite of what I wanted to believe at the time. They encouraged me, telling me that this disappointment had happened to me for a reason and that good will come out of it eventually. Although this was not what I wanted to hear, I eventually realized that their words were true. I recalled some past disappointments I have experienced throughout my life, and I realized that, in the end, there was always good that came out of these situations, even if I did not recognize it at first. At the moment, I do not yet know how God will use this particular situation for good, but I do know that He will use it, and this brings me great comfort.

 “If You Want to Make God Laugh, Tell Him Your Plans”

Overall, this experience made me realize that God can turn the worse situation into something beautiful and part of His plan. God always, always has bigger and better plans for us, and these plans are more extraordinary than what our human capacity can comprehend. To get to the final result of these plans, God sometimes allows us to go through disappointing times. But He uses these trying times to show us His goodness. Throughout my life, if there has been one thing I have learned, it is that God is always good. His goodness may not match our perception of goodness, but He is always good. Why would we trust our limited, human minds’ perception of goodness, when we can trust the unlimited, all-knowing goodness of God? His plans are better than ours, even when we don’t see it.

What Does Scripture Say?

When we hear disappointing news or have to adjust to a drastic change in our lives, we may not see any good in it at first. We just about give up on the idea that the situation will improve. Sometimes we may not realize the good that can come from it right away. When life does not go as planned, it is important to keep in mind these three Scripture passages:

1. Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know well the plans I have in mind for you—oracle of the LORD—plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope.” This verse has always been a comfort to me when my plans do not match up with God’s plans. When I read this verse, I remember that God’s plan will always bring me the most benefit. Even though I may be stubborn and believe that my ways are better than God’s ways, this verse makes me realize how silly it is to think that my ways are better than God’s.
2. Isaiah 55:8-9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways—oracle of the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” God’s ways are so, so much higher than ours. He knows us better than we can ever know ourselves. He knows what is better for us more than we think we do. We should always put our trust in the all-knowing mind of God, even when we are stubborn and think that our ways are better than God’s ways.  
3. Romans 8:28: “We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” Yes, God will allow us to go through disappointments and trials. But, when we are committed to serving Him, He will use this times to fulfill an even greater purpose. We may not see this good come about in our lifetimes, but it is important to trust that, someday, this good will happen.

Giving Disappointment to God

Sometimes all we can do is let go of the situation and surrender it completely to God, letting God Him take the lead and knowing that He will use it to bring about His greater glory. At this moment in time, I am unsure of how God will use my disappointing situation for good. I may not even ever witness it in my lifetime. But for now, all I can do is trust that He has bigger and better plans in store for my life. It is pointless to sit back and feel sorry for myself. When our dreams are shattered and when thing just don’t go as planned, it is important to trust that God has allowed disappointing circumstances to happen to us for a reason, even if we may not ever see how He will use the situation for good.