Life is filled with –ologies. Biology, genealogy, psychology, gerontology, theology, and countless more, but today? Bracketology! Time to pick your winners for the NCAA basketball tournament. I’ll fill my brackets out, knowing that sooner or later, I’ll be disappointed. Most years it’s sooner, first or second round.
What about the bigger disappointments in life, the ones that shock you, leave you bitter? “I would have never expected this from you!” You’ve worked for a company for decades but they muscle you into early retirement. You’ve been faithful and active in your church, but some situation comes and they don’t stand by you. The bitterest is when a friend or family member lets you down in a big way. We all have bitter disappointments in life, and the bitterness can fester deep in our hearts. Singing the “Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song” doesn’t change things.
“Take it to the Lord in prayer.” “Jesus,” you say, “so-and-so really let me down.” “Is that so?” He replies. “What did you expect? Perfection from people? A love for you that would even die for you? Aren’t all people fallible, sinful, mortal? Shouldn’t you expect to be disappointed by people?” Driving to church yesterday, I heard a bluegrass song, “Oh Me of Little Faith.” Yup, that’s so often me. The etiology… Had to get in another –ology! The cause of bitterness when we’re disappointed is fixating on our feelings rather than turning to Jesus.
“I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). “If we are faithless, He remains faithful—for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13). “My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you. By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life” (Psalm 42:5, 8). “Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer. In His arms He’ll take and shield thee; Thou wilt find a solace there” (“Lutheran Service Book,” 770:3).
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