The deadly trap called Disappointment

The deadly trap of disappointment is the fruit of all unrealistic expectations.

Today I want to share with you the folly of all unholy or unrealistic expectations in the heart of man that can lead him astray from his purposes in Christ. These are the fruit of a carnally minded or an immature Christian’s walk of faith. In the beginning of this message I want to emphasis on this important truth of our faith walk that by speaking this topic I by no means mean to discredit the meaning of our faith, which is the basis of our hope in Christ.

Hebrews 11: 1 is still what I believe and stand upon, yet my message is about the carnal desires of man that appears in his own imaginations not that which is God’s intended purposes for his life as a Christian.

Disappointment is deadly. It is a very strong weapon in the hand of the enemy to destroy lives of all men, especially carnal in Christ. This deadly trap often becomes a real stronghold in people’s lives, when they have uncontrollable desires for lust for things of this world. This can even appear in spiritual forms in those whose eyes are taken off the purposes of their lives in Christ. Apostle Paul in his letter to the Philippians Church describes it in this way. “Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ. Whose end is destruction, whose god is they belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.  For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

“Philippians 3:17-20”

Many in Paul’s time and even walking along side of the Lord were disappointed or offended. Why? Because they did not stop to think about the purpose of their existance, this side of heaven. While walking with Him they pursued the addenda’s of their own hearts. Far from the desires of the Lord for them and in the end when their dreams did not materialize they began to grow cold and wonder off from their faith. Many carried their earthly minded carnal desires while following Him and that is why in the end they were offended towards God and His Grace who walked among them in the appearance of the flesh. The Bible says in the last days the love of many will grow cold. Why is that you think? Because many will have to discover that their humanistic dreams have not been fulfilled by Him, thus they wonder off these were not prepared for such a heavy pain that comes through disappointment.

These are the folks who live with no real

Understanding of their purpose in Him. All they see in Christ is how to gain what they think they deserve, and if they do not attain it in Him they would eventually walk away from Him. A warning to us that having an un renewed mind would make any one of us the target of such a disastrous end.

Jesus said “Why are you calling Me Lord, yet you are not willing to obey my words”. You see Satan loves to keep you and me as carnal as possible, because the more we live according to our flesh, the more chances there are that we  too would soon be hit with a huge destructive wave of disappointment. A real killer, that will destroy our life in God and even if not handled the right way soon, would even bring death into our spirit and flesh.

This secret tool of the enemy has slathered many in the body of Christ silently. It is a silent killer. Why do you think Apostle Paul says in Romans 8:1 that “ Now therefore there is no condemnation to those who are in

Christ Jesus who are not walking according to the flesh.” I believe for more than one reason Paul said that. First and foremost ofcource he meant by it that we cannot live and be transformed by our own human efforts. But also I believe this verse through the illumination of the Holy Spirit could be understood as the means to avoid disappointments of all kinds in our lives, which would result in a life of a Christian a huge dosage of condemnation after the disappointment sets in. Apostle Paul in matters of sanctification even confessed that his boasting in the flesh would have been a folly, let alone in trying to pursue a personal ambitious dream of his own. Disappointment can be a very severe deadly trap to bind us to hopelessness and despair and eventually can destroy our only hope, which soon would end our pursuit of life in Christ.  Satan has bound many in this today.Many are the victim of this secret venom of the enemies’ sting.

Many living with their carnal minds develop un biblical  expectations and when their expectations fail to come true in their lives they begin to draw away from Him. This illness of their mind draws them to disappointment and disappointment leads them to condemnation and soon to depression and finally to death. The modern medicine helps these people to cope with their destructive mindset about life, but can never cure it without the help of a renewed mind through the help of the precious Holy Spirit. Only a renewed mind with lowered expectations can save such men. We the born again blood washed children of God need to constantly approach the throne of His grace in fellowshipping with His word through the Spirit to have Him help us to lower our carnal expectation in order to live a spiritual abundant life here on earth.

As long as we follow our earthly ambitions we must prepare for disappointments.

Lowering our expectations means to stop thinking like the rest of the gentiles

“ Unbelievers” and find the purpose of our salvation in Him. Stop blaming everyone for our own wrong choices and start dealing the right way with our disappointments soon. With the help of the Holy Spirit we need to quickly agree with our wrong principals of life and turn from them to the Lord’s intended purpose for our lives. Having the fear of the Lord we would be guided to the right path and there we will rest in His plans for our lives and not our own. The heart of man only finds rest when he finds the purpose of God for his life and then he can enjoy God’s best for his own life. Many times disappointments set in when we desire what is not rightfully ours too, and we are abusing our spiritual rights in Him to get what only will add  to our dilemma in life. That is why the Lord said in His ten commandments do not covet.

Disappointments come when we want something that rightfully is not ours, but we refuse to accept it in rebellion to His revealed will for us in the scriptures. Like this picture where the crawling turtle looking at the flying bird wants to compete with it in a covetous heart not knowing the path that it has been taking soon is going to bring him to death. Instead of being contempt with its own gift this earthly creature wants to compete with another’s God given gift. Can you imagine the pain of discovering the truth how devastating could it be upon this little creature? Have you seen the movie of the life of Amadeus Mozart ? Do you know Salieri the man in competition with him? Do you remember how his unreal expectations from God in a covetous heart destroyed his faith through a deep resentment? Did you see the deep wounds of the enemy in Salieri’s heart, and how they drew him to deny and then blaspheme God? Have you noticed how it was a cause for a complete apostasy from his so called professed faith in Him?

Disappointed people are unsatisfied people. This word disappointment speaks of lack of satisfaction. Just like those who have never enough of anything. The more they lust after the things of this earth no matter if it is wealth, enjoyment, or promotion or elevated social status or even sex or drugs they never have enough, because what they pursue will leave them hungry and thirsty for more. That is why Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman about her unquenched thirst for more.

The Lord Jesus said the things of this world no matter how fulfilling they might appear for a while in the end will leave us unsatisfied and disappointed in life. This is why many are tired of their lives and want to quit and die.  But the scripture says it in this way to those who want to escape disappointments.

The fear of the LORD leads to life, and he who has it will abide in satisfaction;

He will not be visited with evil.

( Proverbs19:23)

Misplaced principals in life can also bring a great wave of disappointment to us and if they remain unchecked they can ruin our entire outlook on life altogether. Many people grow very old and have their lives tangled with great disappointments, since their expectations of life were never met the way they have dreamed them to end. Bitterness and resentment are the product of these kinds of misplaced principals. This is why the Lord Jesus in His words says

“ First seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and then all things shall be added unto you”. Many of His followers abandoned Jesus when He spoke of the cost of discipleship, because they each were seeking their own earthly principals, although in the end their pursuits proved to be nothing but a vanity, a wind in the air. yet in the beginning they did not see them in that way. So is today with many Christians who love this world and the things in it,  and leave God and His principals for their own selfish desires of their carnal appetites.

Some go as far as becoming disappointed with God and this to their own shame, because they have not seen God perform according to their own appetites of the flesh. They choose what God has said not to touch and when burned by it they shift the blame to God. Instead of confessing their own folly in choosing what God in His word has said no to, they turn against Him in stiff-necked rebellion. For example when the Lord has said keep the holy seed in you and do not marry an unbeliever, they still go on with their rebellion and when they lose all they worked for in Christ blame God for not coming through for them in their hour of their desperate cries for help.

Church we  desperately need to heed this message if we want to avoid future pitfalls of disappointment and despair of all kinds.

We need to run to Him in these final hours for directions in pursuit of His purposes for us. Therefore let us  stop running away from the truth of His word before it is too late folks.