Dissapointed in God

Pity party. We all do it at some point. We hear how well our friends are doing or see the posts on Facebook and comparing our struggles begin to question if God really is paying attention to us. It's ok, even the best of us do it. Jesus said of John, "among those born of women, there is none greater than he". Yet even this "Hero" questioned God. When John was arrested and sitting in jail and hearing of how Jesus was healing complete strangers yet not doing anything to help His own cousin out of jail, John began to wonder. John could only see the jail cell in front of him. He didn't have social media to update him on Jesus' whereabouts and as he sat there thinking about his potential being wasted in a jail cell, he began to wonder if his whole life of preparing the people for Jesus had been wrong. The more he wondered, the more upset he became so he sent Jesus a message asking if He really was the Messiah.

Jesus could have responded in an offended or ungracious way, but He did not. He put Himself in John's position and told the messengers to update John on the wonderful miracles Jesus was doing. At the end of his message to them, Jesus said something that I find incredible. He said, "Blessed is the one who does not fall away on account of me." 

Step back and think about that statement. Jesus was saying that he could be a hinderance to others who are trying to do what God would have them do. Essentially that He could "get in the way" of their serving God. How is that possible?? 

Andy Stanley put it like this, "Your personal circumstances do not necessarily coincide with how God feels about you. Proof of how God feels about you is His Son given for you on the cross." We have all heard those people who talk about the bad circumstances in our lives meaning that we must be in sin, but that is not the case. We don't always get to understand the bigger picture and we shouldn't use that as an excuse to turn away. When God is silent, it doesn't mean that He is absent or doesn't care. It just means that it is time for us to reflect on the goodness that He has done in the past in our life. 

Jesus says, "Blessed is the one who does not fall away on account of me". Another version says "Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me". WE are that blessed! We are called BLESSED when we are consistent with God in spite of our circumstances and what appears to be God's absence. 

We each have trials to face, but how will we respond? "Your personal circumstances do not necessarily coincide with how God feels about you". 

Some of the best advice I have ever gotten from my mother was to "get out of the way, it's not about you." I came to her with my hurt and my pain. I had CLEARLY been wronged and was upset. Momma listened to me pour out my heart, she did the verbal hug that showed me love but did not feed my pain, then said "Sweetheart, I understand you hurt and are upset, but there is a bigger picture. You need to stop making it all about you. If you are able to get out of the way and realize the bigger picture, you will not be as personally hurt." Disappointment stems from expectation. Expectations from humans ALWAYS have the potential to be let down. God's faithfulness, however, will never disappoint.  

Two things to remember:
"Your personal circumstances do not necessarily coincide with how God feels about you."

"Stop making it all about you."