Disappointment Continued

In my previous post, I talked about my recent disappointment. After my outburst, I spent a few days feeling depressed, angry and scared. Finally, I couldn't stay there anymore, so I set out for answers. I thought I would start with a sermon. I had missed a couple of sermons at the church I attend due to work-related travel, so I thought I would see what I missed out on. And guess what...one of the sermons I missed was titled "God is Greater than My Disappointments." It was exactly what I was looking for. In the sermon, Jason references the book "Disappointment with God" by Philip Yancey. Once I started reading, I could not put it down. I do love to read, but it is rare that I would finish an entire book in one day. This was one of those rare books. I would like to share some the insight that it gave me.

Yancey boils down our disappointment with God to three questions: Is God unfair? Is God silent? Is God hidden? I know I have asked these three questions myself. I think they are scary questions that people don't want to admit that they think about. But, Yancey states that the Bible is full of people disappointed with God. They too asked these same questions. Yancey begins to answer these questions by taking a quick look at the storyline of the entire Bible. He challenges you with the thought that even if God did appear to you, it wouldn't keep disappointment from happening. Adam walked with God and yet was looking for more. Throughout the Old Testament, people had amazing encounters with God. Yet, we read their stories of sin and disappointment. So, God began to speak through prophets. Once again, the same problems arose. Then, He sent His only Son to die. He was God and walked among us, yet we still find disappointment in this life. And so the story continues today.

At the end of the book, Yancey brings up an interesting insight that has helped me come to terms with much of what I have been feeling lately. Don't confuse God with life. Life is unfair, and it will remain that way until we die. Just ask Jesus when it's all said and done. I think He would agree that life is unfair as well. After all, is it fair that He had to suffer and die the most horrible death of all for those who were His enemies? Is it fair that if I was the only person in the world that needed salvation, He would still die for me? From now on, I will try to consider Christ when I think my life is unfair.

"For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning." Hebrews 4:15