Where are You?

There is a process that can happen in our life.  It is not upward but downward.

You might be somewhere in this progression and don't know how you got there.


EXPECTATIONS
DISAPPOINTMENT
DISCOURAGEMENT
UNBELIEF
DISOBEDIENCE

We all have expectations.  If you start counting them, you won't be able to go to bed tonight.  In fact, you might not be able to go to bed for a week or two if you try to think of everything you expect in your life.
 
can openers, computers, pets, cars, emergency rooms, gardens, friends, Taco Bell, banks, thrift stores, books, seasons, ball games, cameras, jobs, family, marriage, bosses, tires, heaters, pens, neighbors, doctors, vacations, church services, birthdays................
Be careful of your expectations for they drive your life. If we live life just waiting for all of these things to fall into place and be perfect, we are living way too close to the edge. Life is very unpredictable so it we are very subject to disappointment. Things are easily altered.

We expect certain things and if they don't happen, we can be disappointed.  If we do what Barney says......we'll take life a lot better.  Nip It In The Bud.  Don't let things snowball on you.  You might think 'how silly' it is to be concerned about such a little thing as a can opener........just be sure to never be guilty of throwing one across the room because it won't work. Come out of McDonald's after standing in line for 35 minutes waiting for a cup of coffee and see how important it is to nip things in the bud.........even more so for things that ARE not so trivial as can openers and McDonald's.

Romans 7:18 For I know that in me, that is my flesh........dwelleth no good thing. If We can be described as having no good thing within us, other people are in the same boat.....meaning they can easily irritate, and so can we.

If we don't take care of things, large or small, we become discouraged. We are not quite where Solomon was when he said all is vanity. All is not vanity at this point, but if it isn't taken care of, it soon will be. Disappointments can come in a consistent way and in a big way. When we can't do a thing about something, then we begin to weaken and become disheartened. We are feeling low and not too happy about things, but we will still listen to reason. You are hindered but not hardened.

Discouragement that isn't taken care of properly can turn into unbelief. This could be when you start to doubt God and what is in the Bible. Things are hard, so you start changing your mind on things. Things you would have never changed your mind on had you been in the right state of mind......which is humble and thankful. Now you will be hard to deal with. Now you can't be reasoned with out of the Bible because you are in a state of mind that doubts God's Word. You see everything dimly. Through eyes of little faith and great doubt. You can be told that you are in a bad state, but you no longer believe those you used to trust. Your unbelief is a product of you not taking care of disappointment and you let it go too far. There is nothing worse than a believer not believing.

Your next step is disobedience. You start to act on your feelings instead of reasoning out of God's Word. You start doing things your own way. Actions ready with excuses. You think the Lord's Way did not work. You ,seemingly on purpose, forget the things that you have been taught. You slight the things you used to believe as true. You have to slight them else you would have to admit that you are in walking the other direction. Irrational thinking abounds. Your decisions are based on what YOU think is a good idea. You are convinced that it is the best way.

We've all seen people in this state. We all think we will never be there. We all think we are above it. But we all have disappointments. Just how often and to what degree are you disappointed? Nip your disappointments in the bud while you have a spiritual mind about you.

God is good all the time. Not just when you are pleased. Or me. God is good all the time. Are you clay in God's hand or a stone?

DISAPPOINT: To fail to satisfy the hope, desire, or expectation of.

DISCOURAGE: to deprive of courage, hope, or confidence; dishearten; dispirit.

EXPECT: to look forward to; regard as likely to happen; anticipate the occurrence or the coming of

UNBELIEF: the state or quality of not believing; incredulity or skepticism, esp. in matters of doctrine or religious faith.

DISOBEDIENCE: lack of obedience or refusal to comply; disregard or transgression.