From time to time (for me quite often) we fail to measure up to what God would have us to be and do. These are the times that I feel like God is
disappointed in me. But recently I was
challenged by something I read that God is not disappointed in me, He is disappointed
for me.
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| God is not disappointed in me, He is disappointed for me. |
When I thought about that statement it made a
lot of sense to me as a father. I have
three grown children. As I watched each
of them grow I could see so much potential.
Whether the potential was athletic, academic, social, musical,
technical, leadership, spiritual they each had wonderful abilities and
potential.
But like all people, at times
they failed to measure up to their potential.
It may have been because of fear, stubbornness, laziness, even rebellion
and sin but in each case my disappointment was more about what they missed out
on, or I was disappointed at the unnecessary pain they caused themselves. I was disappointed for them not in them. I felt pain because they did not measure up
to what they could be.
That’s the way that God sees us when we fail to
measure up because of fear, stubbornness, laziness, even rebellion and
sin. He feels pain because we could be more. But He is not disappointed in us. He never withholds His love and His mercy and
grace. But He is disappointed for us, desiring
us to be what he sees we can be if we will obey and trust and rely on Him.
Knowing that even though I have not measured up
my Father is not disappointed in me makes it so much easier to relate to Him and
come to Him in my brokenness. I can come
to someone who is disappointed for me and not in me. That’s my Father and He is yours also.
