Have you ever felt disappointed? You waited a long time for something to happen only to find out it was not as grand as you imagined. Maybe you saved up and worked hard to go on a trip only for it to be canceled. Perhaps even the life that you are living now is not what you dreamed of. You could be working in a job that you don’t enjoy or living in a town or city you don’t like. We are all very familiar with disappointment. Let’s backtrack four years to when a global pandemic broke out. Plans, trips, concerts, and jobs were abruptly interrupted, and life in general was put on hold. No one expected something like that to happen. Disappointment is part of the human experience and Christians are not immune to it. This reminds me of Naomi in the book of Ruth. 

We are pretty familiar with this story: Naomi was an Israeli woman living during the Judges’ time. Naomi, her husband, and two sons left Bethlehem during a famine in the land. They moved to Moab and stayed there for a while. We can imagine that Naomi and her family were hopeful about their future in Moab. At the least, they would have food and jobs to sustain themselves. Things, however, didn’t turn out the way they expected. They left Bethlehem only to find death, sadness, and loss in Moab. In Naomi’s words, “I went out full, but the LORD has brought me back empty” (Ruth 1:21 NASB1995). She was so disappointed in God that she asked people not to call her Naomi (“sweetness”) anymore, but Mara (“bitter”). 

Looking back at Naomi’s story, it is understandable for her to have become disappointed. What are some things that we can learn from this account that could have helped her, and, most importantly, can help us today to overcome disappointment in life? I want to give you a three-step formula if you will. 

First, set the right expectations. Disappointment is defined as sadness or displeasure caused by the nonfulfillment of one’s hopes or expectations (Oxford Languages). If we go through life expecting that everything will be perfect, we are setting ourselves up for failure. Keep in mind that God warned us that in this life, we would have trials (John 16:33). So, expect things not to go the way you planned or expected and accept that it is part of life’s journey. 

Second, trust in God. The book of Psalms has an abundance of verses about trusting in the Lord. One of them says that “those who trusted in God were not disappointed” (Psalm 22:5). In this life, people will disappoint us, intentionally or unintentionally, because we are imperfect; but if there is anyone in whom we can trust with our whole heart, it is God. Going back to Naomi, at the end of her story we see that God had not abandoned her like she had thought. He gave her a redeemer who would be to her “a restorer of life and a sustainer of her old age” (Ruth 4:15a). Moreover, God gave Naomi a daughter-in-law who “loved her and was better to her than seven sons” (Ruth 4:15b). God did not disappoint Naomi, and He won’t disappoint us if we keep our trust in Him. 

Third, keep the end in mind. Compared to eternity, this life is short, and when we keep our eyes on the goal, which is to get to heaven, everything else will seem so small in comparison. I have a personal rule, which is Don’t set expectations. This might sound a little negative, but what I mean is that whenever I go to a place I’ve never been to, or am about to experience something new, I do my best not to set any expectations—no good, no bad. My reasoning behind this is that by not setting any expectations, I will prevent disappointment. If I hear that this place or thing is “so cool,” I will set my expectations high and ultimately end up disappointed when expectations are not met. So, whenever my husband and I go to a place that he has been before and thinks that I will enjoy, he just says, “This is not that great of a place,” or, “This is okay… nothing out of this world.” And then I am amazed!

No matter how many disappointments we experience in life, there is something that ought to give all Christians peace and assurance: Heaven. No matter what picture you might have of heaven, I promise you, it will not be disappointing. Heaven is going to be better than anything you have ever experienced or imagined. Revelation states that this will be a new city in which God dwells among us! Just being in God’s presence sounds amazing, but the Bible goes on to say that there will be no tears, death, mourning, or pain (Revelation 21:1-4). Heaven will be a city with God that has none of the negative things that we experience on Earth. It will exceed all expectations you might have. Let that thought sink in. Heaven will be the most “disappointment-free” place you have ever been to or experienced. Now that’s a place I want to be!

 

by Naomi Racine Nichols