Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, [3] knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. [4] And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
James 1:2-4

Perfect and Complete Lacking in Nothing
Disappointments can certainly test your faith. You are trusting God for something that you believe is His will and then it does not happen. You wonder where is God? You start to question if God is on your side. You start to lose faith in God because of your disappointment. But in the midst of it all, you regain faith in God in spite of the circumstances; because you remember experiences of the past and how God ultimately "worked out things for good". So you are able to endure the testing and disappointments.

The Bible says the result of endurance is that it will make us perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. The word perfect is actually better translated as 'mature'. Endurance will make us mature. And we will lack nothing. What this is saying is that by enduring disappointments, we will become mature and we will lack nothing because we will know that God is on our side and He will provide all that we need. We walk by faith.

So, Disappointments Can Be Good because they can cause us to be mature, lacking in nothing. They can actually build our faith, not destroy it.

Perseverance, Character, Hope, Love of God
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; [4] And patience, experience; and experience, hope: [5] And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Romans 5:3-5 KJV

And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, [4] and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, [5] and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. Romans 5:3-5 NRSV

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; [4] perseverance, character; and character, hope. [5] And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. Romans 5:3-5 NIV

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; [4] and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; [5] 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.
Romans 5:3-5 NASB

Disappointments, (tribulations, suffering) can bring about perseverance. We can learn to persevere when things don't go 'right'. We have learned to endure. Endure not in the sense of 'gritting our teeth', but endure in the sense of 'sticking it out to the end'. A person who has endured a hard situation with the right attitude ultimately has great character. Because of a person enduring suffering and disappointments with the right attitude, their character has been proven to be true. The result is that they have hope in spite of their circumstances. And the hope is based upon trust in the love of God.

Another way of saying this is:
If you want to experience the love of God and have hope, be willing to allow God to build character in you by persevering in the hard, disappointing times. This goes against the philosophy of the world and 'prosperity preaching'. They say that God has to give you things, protect you from troubles, be a 'Santa Claus', or you are not experiencing the love of God.

Hope is not based upon things going right. Hope is based upon the fact that God loves you in spite of disappointments.

So, Disappointments Can Be Good because they can build character in us and can actually show us that God loves us. You may still say "but how can a disappointment show us that God loves us?" Because a NO in our life can be good for us. If your honest with yourself, looking back you can be happy that God said NO to some of your desires.

All Things Work Together For Good
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

Yes, even disappointments work together for good. So, after you have gotten disappointed, angry, sad, discouraged, remember that God loves you and things will work out for your best. If you are faithfully submitting your life to God, Disappointments Can Be Good. Even a blessing.

Do you think is just great words, but doesn't work? I can say it does work because I have experienced it. Our next Spiritual Nugget will be "Disappointments-My Experiences".

Copyright Ó 2001 Richard D. Dover. All rights reserved.
This material can be used without written permission if it is not used to make a profit, all comments are quoted in context, and this copyright tag is included with document. You must include the URL.
http://www.inhisstepsministries.org

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations used are from the New American Standard Version (NAS).