by Luke Kincaid
One of my favorite ministers is a gentleman by the name of Paul Tripp. Today I wanted to share with you a portion of a blog which he sends out every Wednesday. The title of this specific blog is “Are You A Disappointed Christian?”

The following are the six signs which he offers of one who may struggle with their disappointment as a Christian:
“1. Disappointment with God. Do you feel as if God has not given you the life that he has promised? If we misunderstand what God is doing in the here and now, we’ll live with the wrong perspective and expectations, so disappointment is bound to set in.
- Lack of motivation for ministry. If you’re disappointed with the life that God has provided, you’re unlikely to get excited about sharing that disappointing news with others! A life of vibrant ministry is not defined by formal training or paid vocation but the result of an overflowingly thankful heart.
- Numbing yourself. When you’re disappointed with your life, you will pursue ways to escape it. That may come in the form of working too much, a hobby or activity, endless entertainment, or overindulging on food, alcohol, medication, or illicit sexual pleasure.
- Envy of others’ lives. If you’re disappointed with your life, you will scan the lives of others to see how they’re doing. Inevitably, you will discover someone near you who is enjoying the life that seemed to pass you by. Envy will cause you to doubt God’s goodness and wisdom while telling you that you deserve better than what you are getting.
- Letting go of the habits of faith. When you’re disappointed with something, you don’t want to invest in or participate in it. Why read God’s Word, why pray, why hang around with other believers, why read good Christian books, and why encourage others to believe when none of those things seem to make a difference?
- Greater susceptibility to temptation. Once you let go of the habits of the faith, you let your spiritual defenses down. You are no longer connected to resources that stimulate and deepen your affection for Jesus, so the things of this world that woo you to step outside of God’s boundaries are more enticing.”
Maybe you have identified with more than one of these and now realize that you may be struggling with disappointment in your walk with Jesus. Paul Tripp offers a few ways in which you can begin to go about dealing with this disappointment. The main one I want to share with you today is to seek the company of those who have what you are lacking right now in this moment.
Christian fellowship is one of the primary ways in which we can see us overcoming our disappointment as we find strength in our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ as we strive to live out the truth of Proverbs 27:17:
17 Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens another.
So don’t be afraid to reach out to those around you. And if you find yourself in a place of not knowing who to go to… drop me or one of the pastors a message and we can have a chat!
Much love,
Luke
Thank you Luke, awesome