When someone fails to meet our expectations or hopes, we become disappointed. People may deliberately or unintentionally fall short of what we anticipate or desire from them, but the resulting disappointment feels the same either way.
When Job lost his family, received no support from his wife, and became deathly ill, he expected his three closet friends to support him with compassion and understanding as he worked through his painful predicament. Yet just the opposite happened. What he expected and trusted his friends to do never took place. Instead, the friends disappointed Job by unjustly judging him, tearing him down, and failing to sympathize with him. As a result, his friends’ presence escalated his suffering during a conversation where each person attempted to correct the others of his judgment and assumed righteousness.
Finally, God came on the scene and spoke the truth, and both sides humbled themselves. The three friends were directed to offer up burnt offerings to and for Job, which meant that they were to seek forgiveness. Then Job was required to forgive them, because God told him to pray for his friends. After Job obeyed, the Lord restored all of his fortunes.
We all experience times of disappointment, and it is necessary for us to work things out, just as Job and his friends did. Whether we are disappointed in a friend, spouse, family member, parent, child, coworker, boyfriend, girlfriend, or someone we just want to help, we must work towards the place where we forgive them for disappointing us and let go of our expectations. We cannot control the choices they will make, but we will be freed up to give that person and situation to our loving, wise God to work out. God cares about His children and is present to assist us when we feel disheartened because of disappointment.
“[Such is my disappointment in you, the friends I fully trusted.] The caravans of Tema looked [for water], the companies of Sheba waited for them in vain. They were confounded because they had hoped [to find water]; they came there and were bitterly disappointed. Now to me you are [like a dried up brook]: you see my dismay and terror, and [believing me to be a victim of God’s anger] you are afraid [to sympathize with me]” (Job 6:18b-20).