Our hearts are the dwelling places of God and we must be very aware, and even careful, as we determine the kind of atmosphere we have created for the Lord to live in.
I have learned in so many situations in my life this singular lesson: The Lord is more interested in changing my heart than He is in changing my circumstances. The cry of my heart is to be more like Him every day and thus I must also have greater regard and pay more prayerful attention to what is developing in my heart than what is happening in my circumstances.
We ask God to change our circumstances when what He truly desires is for our circumstances to change us. As a believer, you have a choice to either magnify your pain and your disappointing circumstances or to magnify your God in spite of your pain. We are often guilty of talking more about our sadness and distress than we talk about the Lord whom we serve. I can always tell by a person's conversation what he/she has chosen, either consciously or subconsciously, to magnify.
As I meditate on the great men and women of God in the Bible who chose to serve Him and were used significantly at their historical time, there is not one who did not have to deal with disappointment. Esther was an orphan raised by a bachelor uncle and yet God used her to save the entire nation of Jews. Joseph was ridiculed by his brothers and was sold into slavery, and yet he rose to second in command in Egypt and strategized to save his countrymen from severe famine. Daniel was kidnapped out of his childhood home and was forced into a den of ravenous, fierce lions and yet God used him as a force for righteousness in Babylon.
The apostle Paul, the writer of the book of Romans, presents a better way to handle disappointments than being disappointed!
"And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us" (Rom. 5:3-5, NASB1995).
What Paul patiently teaches is that disappointments in life do not have the power to "dis-appoint" you! God has appointed you for goodness and for destiny; therefore, disappointments have no power to undo what God has already done. When we become emotionally stressed out and frustrated due to the daily disappointments in life, we are giving each disappointment too much authority in our lives. One of the greatest keys in dealing with disappointments is to keep them in their proper perspective. To "dis-appoint" means that your destiny has been forever changed; that once you were appointed for destiny and significance but the disappointing event has forever altered your eternal purpose. "Dis-appointment" would imply that once you were appointed and some circumstance has stolen your appointment.
Paul instructs the body of Christ for all generations to come; that our response to disappointments should be wholehearted joy. The King James Bible translates the phrase, "we also exult in our tribulations" in this manner, "we glory in tribulations, also."
We have had it all wrong! We have mistakenly believed that tribulations, or disappointments, are tragic, life-altering obstacles when the Bible, which is our compass into all truth, tells us that disappointments are our finest hour. It is a moment that expects worship and praise.
Disappointment presents the opportunity to demonstrate that we, as believers in Jesus Christ, are indeed different and that we are able to use this moment of human pain to reveal the glory that has been placed within us. We don't cry because of disappointments but we rejoice in them. We don't wail due to disappointments but we search for the fingerprint of God to reveal itself.
Your disappointment does not have the power to dis-appoint you. It may actually place you in a strategic position to be used by God because He is not finished with you yet. He works with His children until He wins! 
Read articles like this one and other Spirit-led content in our new platform, CHARISMA PLUS.
Get Spirit-filled content delivered right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.
Dr. Mark Rutland's
National Institute of Christian Leadership (NICL)
The NICL is one of the top leadership training programs in the U.S. taught by Dr. Mark Rutland. If you're the type of leader that likes to have total control over every aspect of your ministry and your future success, the NICL is right for you!
FREE NICL MINI-COURSE - Enroll for 3-hours of training from Dr. Rutland's full leadership course. Experience the NICL and decide if this training is right for you and your team.
Do you feel stuck? Do you feel like you’re not growing? Do you need help from an expert in leadership? There is no other leadership training like the NICL. Gain the leadership skills and confidence you need to lead your church, business or ministry. Get ready to accomplish all of your God-given dreams. CLICK HERE for NICL training dates and details.The NICL Online is an option for any leader with time or schedule constraints. It's also for leaders who want to expedite their training to receive advanced standing for Master Level credit hours. Work through Dr. Rutland's full training from the comfort of your home or ministry at your pace. Learn more about NICL Online. Learn more about NICL Online.
