Digging Deeper: Disappointments Have to Be
“I thank my God in all my remeberance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of you partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ…And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment,”
Philippians 1:3-6, 9 (NLT)
DISAPPOINTMENTS HAVE TO BE
I have a wide range of musical interests. I originally started playing the bass guitar when I was 15 years old because my buddies and I were going to be rock stars. I still have a penchant for loud and fast music, but over time I developed an array of other interests including folk, country, jazz, funk—you name it.
I love to listen to the music itself, always gauging how I might approach playing the bass to a song, often paying less attention to the lyrics. In the early 2000s, I discovered a band called The Avett Brothers that writes beautiful music—but even better lyrics. Their down-to-earth yet poetic approach forced me to truly hear the words.
They have one song called “Living of Love” where they sing about all aspects of love, and even about the importance of love in the uncertainties of life. One of the verses goes like this:
Say, yes, we live uncertainty, and disappointments have to be
And every day, we might be facing more
And, yes, we live in desperate times, with faded words and shaky rhymes
There’s only one thing worth hoping for
With Lucifer beneath you, and God above, if either one of them asks you what you’re living of,
Say Love. Say, for me, Love.
We all experience disappointments in life, and in those moments it is harder to be grateful for the things we do have. Sometimes we get unpleasant or scary news from a doctor, or we find out our position has been eliminated, or we face any number of trials in a given day. Perhaps in those moments we can shift our thoughts toward love and gratitude, remembering the things we have before us because of God.
We read the beginning of Philippians this past Sunday, where the apostle Paul demonstrates how to be gracious from a prison cell, facing tremendous uncertainty about his earthly future. In chapter 4, Paul famously says:
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:4–7)
The key for the Christian is the persistent discipline of remembering our loving Creator and seeking His guidance above all else. Paul exemplifies courageous faith in the face of danger, writing: “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13)
So yes, disappointments have to be. But don’t forget where your help comes from in your times of need.
Lee Wilson and his wife, Deanna, have been NorthStar Church members since 2010. They are parents to Everett, Henry and Roselyn. Lee is passionate about sports (Go Braves, Go Dawgs) and has the pleasure to serve on the worship team as a bassist.