Disappointment is unavoidable.
Every one of us will miss out on a promotion, go through heartbreak, lose what we wanted most, or come to a detour in life. Disappointment, however, should never stop you from moving forward. The only time disappointment foreshadows the end of the road is when you let it.
Handling disappointment well is not easy because our emotions will urge us to wallow in despair and complain about why life isn’t fair, but you can train yourself to handle disappointment successfully. Here are four tips that will help you pick yourself up and keep going.
1. Gain perspective. The good in the situation will hide behind the pain you’re feeling, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Look for what you could have done differently or handled better. Is there a lesson you can learn from someone else’s mistakes? Above all, find the path of integrity and stick with it.
2. Watch your thought life. The more you focus on what went wrong, the more you’ll expect bad things to happen in the future. Keep your eyes on what you want to see become a reality. As you do, you’ll begin to see how the adversity you are facing can become a building block for your future.
3. Write down your vision. The Bible and secular studies agree: writing down your vision and keeping that vision in front of you will provide the momentum you need to continue toward your goals. If you never write it down, you’ll forget your focus and get stuck reacting to life rather than actively moving toward your future.
4. Get in the Word. Let the Bible create a picture of what God wants your life to look like. Let His picture of love, peace, joy, and success resonate in your heart. The more you focus on what your future could look like according to God’s Word, the more you will begin to imagine it becoming a reality for you.
5. Stay consistent. Your life won’t turn around overnight; you’ll still have to deal with the repercussions of whatever disappointment you’ve encountered. In the middle of that season, purpose to practice patient consistency. God’s promises will prevail as you stay true to His Word and His ways.
So remember, disappointment is not the end. It is a stepping stone to something greater. You won’t know exactly how it will come together, but if you patiently and consistently follow the Lord, He will ensure that His plan for you prevails.
About Mac Hammond
Mac Hammond is senior pastor of Living Word Christian Center, a nondenominational church located in Brooklyn Park (a suburb of Minneapolis), Minnesota. Pastor Hammond also hosts the Winner’s Minute and the Winner’s Way television broadcasts and has authored several internationally distributed books . Mac Hammond is broadly acclaimed for his ability to apply the principles of the Bible to practical situations and the challenges of daily living.
Mac Hammond graduated from Virginia Military Institute in 1965 with a Bachelor’s degree in English. Upon graduation, he entered the Air Force with a regular officer’s commission and reported for pilot training at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia. Mac received his wings in November 1966, and subsequently served two tours of duty in Southeast Asia, accumulating 198 combat missions. He was honorably discharged in 1970 with the rank of Captain.
Between 1970 and 1980, Mac was involved in varying capacities in the general aviation industry including ownership of a successful air cargo business serving the Midwestern United States. A business acquisition brought Mac and his wife Lynne Hammond to Minneapolis where they ultimately founded Living Word Christian Center in 1980.
