Eliza Tabor said, “Disappointment to a noble soul is what cold water is to burning metal; it strengthens, tempers, intensifies, but never destroys it.” Disappointment is defined as: the feeling of sadness or displeasure caused by the nonfulfillment of one’s hopes or expectations. We will all have disappointments and be forced to deal with them; we are not immune to being disappointed from time to time. In fact:

Throughout your life, you’ll be faced with many disappointments. Perhaps you’re dealing with a disappointment right now. Whether someone you trusted and loved let you down, whether something in your work or business didn’t go right, whether your life isn’t where you want it to be — life just has a way of kicking us when we’re already down. Disappointment is not an easy thing to face, but standing strong in the face of disappointment and picking yourself up afterwards is crucial to living a good life.

Author Unknown

Unfortunately, so many persons allow today’s disappointments to determine their tomorrow. People quit hoping, quit dreaming, and quit striving for a better tomorrow. It’s sad, really, that we allow today’s disappointments to dictate our future. To help you be prepared to deal with disappointment in the future, remember the following:

1. Understand that disappointments won’t last forever; eventually, we can and will get over them.
2. Don’t allow disappointment to affect the rest of our lives.
3. Never give up hope.

No one can go through life and never be disappointed. Let’s face it — disappointments can either make us stronger or cause us to give up on really living and enjoying life. Either way, disappointment won’t last forever, so we shouldn’t allow it to affect our lives forever. Let’s move past our disappointments and start to hope and dream again.

Just a Thought,

PSS

From a biblical standpoint, when you say, “I believe,” you are saying you’re committed and you will never give up. Basically, you are getting rid of all other options in your life, proclaiming, “God’s way is the only way and there are no other options for me.” God does not want a halfway commitment in which you give up when things start to get tough.

For instance, people say it is hard to be committed, but the only reason for that is that they are leaving their options open just in case some better deal comes along — just in case some other person comes along. In doing this, you aren’t being committed at all. True commitment, however, is a state of personal dedication and loyalty to someone or something.

Therefore, “commitment to God” means there is no other way or option for you, especially when you make a decision to follow Christ. When you accept Jesus as Lord of your life, you are telling God that Jesus is the only way and you will follow and be obedient to Him no matter what goes on in your life — no matter how difficult, or good, things get.

Unfortunately, I have watched people walk away from God when things began to go well in their lives. Once they prospered and realized some new freedoms, they decided they were too busy for God. In addition, others made too much money to give to the kingdom. It’s amazing how easily we can be distracted when we haven’t made a true commitment to God.

I encourage you to cut all other options out of your life and courageously commit to God and His Word. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of a good courage…” (Joshua 1:9).

Just a Thought,

PSS

All of us will face difficulties and problems. Eventually, tough times will come; no one is immune to them. The important thing, however, is the way in which we react to problems when they do come. For some people, problems are temporary setbacks or difficulties which have an expiration date. As these types of people work through their problems and learn from them, their setbacks seem to make them stronger. As a result, they learn to persevere and overcome because they see each problem as an opportunity to seek a solution — they don’t become a victim of the problem.

On the other hand, some people see problems as devastating circumstances which have no solution. Consequently, they develop the habit of giving up. Regardless of the progress they have made, they revert to their old ways. For instance, they do well, something happens, and they revert. Eventually, they get over it, start to do well again, then some difficulty comes along and they give up — professing, “Oh, woe is me.” — just to repeat the cycle all over again. Looking back on their life, they realize they’ve gone nowhere and gained nothing.

Quitting is a bad habit, and the cycle of giving up in one’s life must be broken. If you’ve developed a habit of quitting, here are a few things you can do to break this cycle in your life:

1. Recognize this pattern in your life and what triggers giving up.
2. The next time a problem happens, force yourself to keep going forward. Don’t get angry and quit your job or begin to hang out with old friends who will drag you down.
3. Quit thinking and confessing, “Every time I start to do better this always happens.” This is a pit of destruction. Start believing in yourself and don’t give yourself an excuse to give up.

Start to change the way in which you see setbacks. As you overcome them, it will cause you to move forward in life — one step at a time, one moment at a time.

Just a Thought,

PSS

Why is it so difficult for people to change? The problem is that people try to behave differently without first changing their thinking. Whenever you act differently than your usual manner, it produces stress in your life. It doesn’t matter whether the new behavior is good for you or bad for you – change for most of us creates pain and anxiety. Lasting change, however, starts with the way in which you think, so you have to change the mental image that you have of yourself.

The Bible says to meditate in the Word of God day and night, and then you will make your way prosperous (Joshua 1:8). You must see yourself doing the thing that you want to change by rehearsing it over and over until it becomes a part of you. You can surely begin to change by making the choice to do so, but it won’t last if you don’t truly see yourself as changed. When you come under pressure, you will revert to what you know or what is most comfortable for you.

While making changes in your life, begin to meditate on God’s Word and confess it over yourself (Mark 11:23). As you begin to see yourself behaving differently, it will become permanent. Changing the way you think will alleviate the stress and make it easier for you to adjust for change that lasts.

Just a Thought,

PSS

We will all, at times, face challenges that can be very difficult. Sometimes those situations can be so difficult that we feel as if the breath has been knocked out of us. So what are we to do in those circumstances? We can keep moving forward, trusting that God has an answer, or we can get so discouraged that it paralyzes us to the point that we shut down and quit altogether.

Although we can’t always prevent life’s bad circumstances, we can choose the manner in which we respond. We can either respond as a victim and say, “Why me?” or we can respond as a victor and stand in faith on God’s Word. Our response is determined by our thinking. The Bible says, “…[W]hatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things” (Philippians 4:8, NIV).

As you purpose to confess God’s Word until it becomes a part of you, you will learn that you can overcome, with the Word of God, any situation you may face. For example, when dealing with fear, confess and believe 2 Timothy 1:7, which says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (NKJV).

By confessing the Word of God, we don’t have to allow fear, or any other stronghold, to control us because God gave us His Word to disprove that which exalts itself against the Truth (2 Corinthians 10:4-6). You can allow the negative circumstances of life to overcome you, or you can begin to believe and confess God’s Word and overcome those circumstances — the choice is yours.

Just a Thought,

PSS