Don’t Waste Your Disappointment

What if God’s will isn’t something to be endured with listless resignation? What if it’s something to be welcomed and lived to the full?

Even a break-up?

Well, yes. A healthy sense of humility can be a big relief because I don’t have to have the answers. I can be earnest about doing it right, and still fumble. I can be godly — and still get to pass around grace. Because! While God has promised to lead us, I really don’t think we get to be infallible. He’s not only leading; He is training — and sometimes mistakes are the best way to learn.

The marrying kind of love is a real mystery: where it comes from, or how to corral it, nobody exactly knows. God’s plan for us is a mystery: what He is up to, and why — well, now’s not the time for us to fully know.

And when life is extra-disappointing, He’s extraordinarily mysterious.

But no matter the situation, I can’t think of a more life-changing, game-changing, mind-blowing realization than this:

that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
may have strength to comprehend with all the saints
what is the breadth
and length
and height
and depth,
and to know the love of Christ
that surpasses knowledge

To know that I know that I know that God loves me personally means I grow until I no longer feel threatened by what He does — by what He gives or by what He withholds.

And that’s why I wrote this article.

Elisabeth

October 26, 2011

Boundless

5 comments

5 responses to “Don’t Waste Your Disappointment”

Morgan

October 26, 2011 at 11:03 am

Very encouraging and something for me to meditate on. Thank you!

E

October 26, 2011 at 2:14 pm

Well, I know you don’t need a TO DO list, but here’s some things I’”ve learned on my own:

– try and wait for God to put a certain man on your heart! Don’t go forwaard with your feelings until He somehow gives you an indication that you can do it – I know it’s especially hard when you minister or work together or it\s natural to meet regularly, but I tell you it can be done and I think it’s best.

– when you start having feelings and developing a friendship with a man, pay very much attention to what God is speaking to you daily – is He saying anything about your relationship, is He focusing on other matters (this could be a sign He has not much concern at the moment with the relationship and wants to work on different matters of the heart)? Like you said in one of your articles, usually God’s guidance is like a puzzle that gets more and more unfolded or like a story with more and more clues all pointing to the same direction and final destination.

– be prepared to take the maximum risk and be broken – because to love someone is impossible without your breaking of ego, selfishness, comfort etc. to love is to be vulnerable, to take the risk and give all and to be broken in the process of loving and growing in love.

– leave the final result to God, even if you know He has lead you through these walking in faith with feelings towards a godly man – after all, He is Lord over everything and the final work and answer belongs to Him. From your relationship with God, you can rejoice in either YES or NO, because you know nothing is wasted and even in suffering God is molding your heart for eternity.

– know that God is interested in giving you an answer, but at the same time He is more interested in working something in your heart and character – and that refining of faith and love cannot be done except for suffering and breaking (not necessary break uo of relationship but different hardships). So understand this is “|normal, natural”| for God’s way of transforming hearts and be willing to embrace this work of His in you.

– be comforted that everything has meaning in His hands. And let Him take the initiative in everything in your life, including love life, as the Lord and Sovereign God of yours. You couldn’t be in better hands than His!

Hope to hear a God-written love story with you and your future husband at the right time.

Praying for you,
E

E

October 26, 2011 at 2:19 pm

An excellent book of love in / and marriage “|Mystery of marriage – meditations on the miracle”| by Mike Mason.

denisemorris

October 26, 2011 at 3:35 pm

Thanks for this, Elisabeth!

Stephanie

October 29, 2011 at 3:14 pm

Hi Elisabeth, I stumbled over here from your bio beside your article on Boundless, and just wanted to say thank you. Your articles have always challenged and encouraged me to go deeper in my walk with Christ, and these thoughts on waiting have done just that today as I apply them to a particular situation I’m in. Keep writing for God’s glory and the building up of His people.