Hunter Christner

Everyone knows the feeling of disappointment. You try hard, you hope big, and then something doesn’t work out. You put a lot of time into something but don’t get the result you hoped for. You give your best effort and still don’t find success. You trust someone and they let you down. Disappointment happens to everyone. It’s not a question of if, but when. What do you do when it happens?

Some people shut down and decide not to care anymore, others get angry and blame everyone around them. Some even turn that disappointment inward and start believing lies like, “I’m not good enough” or “I’ll never get it right.” Disappointment can reveal what we really trust in. If our hope rests on people, outcomes or success, we’ll likely be let down at some point because all of those things eventually fail. Disappointment might not be all bad though. What if disappointment could actually become a moment where God shapes us?

I remember talking with a friend who was really disappointed by his dad. He was pretty worked up about it. He said, “I thought he would always be steady. I didn’t expect him to let me down like that.” At first, he wanted to walk away from anything that reminded him of his dad. With time he came to realize people will always fall short, even the ones we look up to most. He didn’t pretend it didn’t hurt, but he chose to forgive, to pray for his dad, and to keep his eyes on Christ, the only one who never fails. That decision didn’t erase the disappointment, but it freed him from being controlled by it. 

Jesus himself knew disappointment. Crowds followed him for miracles but not for truth. His closest friends fell asleep while he prayed. Judas betrayed him for money. Peter denied even knowing him. The people Jesus came to save shouted for his crucifixion.

If anyone had a reason to give up on people, it was Jesus. Yet he didn’t. He stayed faithful to his father’s plan. He kept loving the very ones who let him down. On the cross, he even prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,” says Luke 23:34. Jesus didn’t let disappointment harden his heart or stop his purpose. He used it as a moment to show what real love and forgiveness look like.

Disappointment is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to define you. If your hope is rooted in Jesus, you can face it without losing heart. The gospel reminds us that God never fails. He took our sin, shame and disappointment to the cross and rose again to give us hope that doesn’t fade. Romans 5:5 says, “Hope does not disappoint.” When people fail, when plans fall through, remember: God never does.

(Hunter Christner is associate staff at Campus Ventures in Powell.)