Gospel
The Disappointment Blues
By Dan Blankenship
© 2007 Dan Blankenship
When I first accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior, I was elated that I had found a way to defeat death, become a future resident of the greatest retirement home ever created – Heaven, and I was going to be blessed beyond measure in this life of mine. I guess two out of three ain’t bad, and I’m not really even sure where I heard that the last item on my list was part of my renaissance. And someone definitely forgot to tell me about what Jesus said in John 16:33 (NIV): “In this world you will have trouble.”
Trouble, that’s what Jesus said. I wonder if he meant that just when I would finally get my finances under control that the furnace would quit working. I wonder if he meant that just when I finished paying off my car that its engine and transmission would take a dump, leaving me with repair bills that exceeded the original cost of the car. Is that what Jesus meant when he said I would have troubles in this world? I think it is. I think Jesus was warning all of us who have decided to follow him that we will suffer disappointment in this world – serious disappointment.
It is not in this temporal world that suffering and disappointment are destroyed by the Blood of the Lamb. It is in the eternal world to come that the disappointment blues will be a thing of the past. In Luke 18:22 (NIV) Jesus tells the rich ruler that if he gives everything he has to the poor, he will have treasure in Heaven. Jesus did not tell the wealthy man that his sacrifice would lead to immediate contentment and happiness.
Philippians 3:20 (NIV) reminds us that “our citizenship is in Heaven.” And it is with that disclosure one has to ask why the Christian sometimes believe his or her passport to the eternal land should catapult the contentment of Heaven into the currently cursed world we live in. The short and honest answer is: we shouldn’t believe such nonsense. Becoming a Christian does not insulate us from pain, suffering, and disappointment.
Followers of Christ will definitely find trouble in this world. But if we keep our hearts and minds focused on our eternal resting place, we will find the disappointment of a fallen world bearable. The glory and rich rewards of Heaven, the ten thousand year and on that we will share fellowship with the Eternal Redeemer, and the joy of living with our brothers and sisters in Christ are worth every disappointment we could ever suffer through as we make our way through this present world.
PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com. This is especially true with articles that
deal with personal healthcare and prophecy. We encourage the reader to make their own decision in consultation with God, His Word, and others as needed.
This article has been read 960 times < Previous | Next >
Read more articles by Dan Blankenship or search for other articles by topic below.
This article has been read 960 times < Previous | Next >
Search for articles on: (e.g. creation; holiness etc.)
Read more by clicking on a link:Free Reprints
Main Site Articles
Most Read Articles
Highly Acclaimed Challenge Articles.
New Release Christian Books for Free for a Simple Review.
NEW - Surprise Me With an Article - Click here for a random URL
God is Not Against You - He Came on an All Out Rescue Mission to Save You
...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them... 2 Cor 5:19
Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Acts 13:38
LEARN & TRUST JESUS HERE
FaithWriters offers Christian reading material for Christian readers. We offer Christian articles, Christian fiction, Christian non-fiction, Christian Bible studies, Christian poems, Christian articles for sale, free use Christian articles, Christian living articles, New Covenant Christian Bible Studies, Christian magazine articles and new Christian articles. We write for Jesus about God, the Bible, salvation, prayer and the word of God.
Thomas
Thomas