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Christmas should be a time of joy and peace. After all, the angels, at Jesus' birth, said, "Peace on earth, goodwill toward men." The problem is - Life is not perfect. Despite this being "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year," we can experience disappointments when others fail to live up to our expectations or things don't go the way we planned. If we are not careful, we can allow our disappointment to lead to discouragement which is "a loss of confidence and enthusiasm, dispirited."
Discouragement, left unchecked and not dealt with in a healthy way, can lead to despair or hopelessness. Can you see the downward spiral? So how do we handle it when someone doesn't fulfill our expectations or things don't happen as we had hoped? I've heard it said, "If you don't expect anything good, you won't be disappointed when it doesn't happen." What a pitiful way to live.
When someone or something disappoints you, feel the pain, cry if you need to, but then reel your emotions back in and focus on the good things you have to be grateful for. Often all we need is a new perspective. The situation may seem huge, but in the big picture, is it really that important? Will it make a difference a month, a year, or ten years from now? The enemy of our souls wants us to look down, but we must resist the urge and instead look up and be grateful.
If we have allowed our disappointment to become discouragement, we won't have energy or enthusiasm. Many times people in the Bible were told to "Take courage." It's a choice. When David returned from battle to Ziglag, he found the enemy had destroyed the city and had taken his family captive. I Samuel 30:3 (AMP) says, "David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they were to exhausted to weep any longer." On top of that, his own people were ready to stone them because of their loss. So what did he do? First he wept, then he made a choice. "David encouraged and strengthened himself in the Lord his God." (I Samuel 30:6 AMPC) He and his army pursed the enemy and recovered everything they had lost.
If we allow our emotions to spiral into despair we will experience hopelessness, but we MUST have hope! Remember the saying that Oral Roberts was famous for? "Something GOOD is going to happen to you today!" We need that attitude. Hebrews 6:19 says hope is an anchor for our soul. It will keep us steady and secure though the storms of life may "rock our boat."
Psalm 27:13 (NASB) says, "I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." If disappointment, discouragement, or despair have become unwanted guests in your soul this holiday season, find something to be grateful for and realize God will work all things for your good (Romans 8:28). Take courage, strengthen yourself in God and hold onto hope knowing you will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!