“And hope does not disappoint us,
because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.”
-Romans 5:5
Have you ever had a situation when
someone let you down? You were certain that he would be the last in the world
to let you down. But you were mistaken.
When you are disappointed, there are
several paths you could take. The first is the one that most take – the path of
anger and revenge. He hurt you, so you will even the score by hurting him. Yet
when it is all said and done, your hurt is assuaged a little by seeing somebody
else gets it.
The second path is withdrawal. You
are not interested in taking off his head, but you just cannot stand in his
presence. Therefore, you withdraw and
run, or stick your head in the sand of disappointment. Lilian Dickson, an
outstanding woman whose story appeared in the Reader’s Digest, wrote of such a
disappointment. “There was heartache as trust was betrayed in one instance… In
my heart rages the old familiar battle. My schoolteacher experience says, ‘Off
with their heads!’ and be done with it. My mission experience says, ‘When
people fall, do not leave them. Help them up and try to get them on the right
path again.
Lilian Dickson’s remarks point to the
third path – restoration. Do not rejoice when a giant falls. For when he comes
down, many weaker, smaller people will be hurt. We are all human in our
weaknesses.
When someone you admired proves to be
a disappointment, do not step on him nor rejoice in his fall. It takes no great
strength of character to see the wrongs of others, but it takes the greatness
of grace to forgive and to restore.
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