I'm a Hypocrite . . . are you Disappointed?

When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. (Nehemiah 1:4 CSB)

I will have to confess to you in this blog that I have been hypocritical in my attitude toward disappointment. As a Christian first and then a pastor, I have tried to give the impression that I am not set back nor discouraged when things do not turn out as I had prayed they would or hoped they would. I have looked at disappointment as a fiery dart from the adversary and therefore have refused to accept it in my mind. My heart says something else though; Mike, this is disappointing. That is where the hypocrisy comes into play. Trying to convince myself that I am not disappointed but being tested somehow. Trying to refuse feeling something that I have been programmed to feel by my Lord and Creator.

Old Nehemiah never played the hypocrite. He felt disappointment to the extent that he sat down and cried. I cannot tell you how many times I have felt the same way upon being disappointed but yet my spiritual pride kept me from accepting the feeling. I have counseled people through disappointment. I have prayed with people that have been disappointed. I have encouraged people not to give up when disappointed, and all the while knowing in my heart how it really feels yet trying to convince others it is not as bad as they think it is. Can I share what I have learned with you today? It is OKAY to feel disappointment. It is not a sin to experience the disappointed feeling of something we had planned on, or hoped for, or expected to happen, not actually happen the way we wanted it to. See, the old devil laughs when we refuse to accept disappointment because even he knows what we really feel in our heart. He has seen to many people disappointed and how it affected them and has learned that every one of us feels the same way. What he loves about it is that we as Christians sometimes lie to ourselves and try to convince ourselves we are not going to “accept it.” The devil loves to see pride in someone because he knows God hates it.

Now don’t go giving in to it. Just because we have been disappointed does not give us an excuse to give up. Nehemiah never sat down and cried and quit. He felt it, accepted it, dealt with it, and allowed it to motivate him to do something. The devil will use disappointment to stunt your spiritual growth if you allow it. God will use the disappointment to increase your spiritual growth if you will allow it. It is not about being disappointed but rather what we do in the wake of it. Psychologists have a favorite question they like to ask; “how does that make you feel?” The devil has a favorite question he likes to ask; “do you still believe God is who you believe He is?” God has a favorite question He likes to ask; “do you trust Me?”