Disappointments

Today's message may seem pretty simple, but it's one I have been reminding myself of this morning. Jesus is the only person who ever walked the earth without sin. That said, people will disappoint us. People will make decisions and choices that hurt us. The only person in whom we can place 100% trust is in Jesus Christ. He came to earth not to live for Himself, but to live for each of us. His motives were never selfish. He cried out for His future to be taken away from Him, but even though He knew the pain He would face, He was obedient unto death for each of us. 

There will be times when the actions of others hurt us. It would be easy to use these actions as a reason to write them out of our lives or to become bitter towards them. My battle is not bitterness, but of building walls against people when they hurt me. My instinct is to still communicate with them, but become very guarded. It is an instinct I have to fight because the situation may not always warrant such extreme action. As believers we are called to forgiveness, even when forgiveness hurts or doesn't make sense. 

The person I have found disappoints me the most has been myself. Nobody knows the dreams, goals, and desires inside of us quite like ourselves. We know the standard we strive to attain. It could be as small a disappointment as not getting the house cleaned when I planned to clean it or something like committing a sin I vowed to never commit again. It also involves making decisions not based on my needs or wants, but choosing in terms of how my decision will affect someone else. 

What I have come to realize is that if I disappoint myself as often as I do, then why would I expect others to never disappoint me? I can't even keep the "standard" to myself! This is why our relationship and trust in Christ is so extremely vital. His love and friendship never disappoints. When those we love on earth disappoint and hurt us, we must remember they are just as human as we are ourselves. This is also why our identity, worth, and value needs to be placed in Him and not in those around us. No matter what others do or how they change, Jesus always remains the same. 

"Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not to please ourselves. Each one of us must please his neighbor for his good, in order to build him up. For even the Messiah did not please himself. " Romans 15:1-3