Disappointments and their great potential

Dis­ap­point­ments unfold gre­at power in us when we let them take effect. We are hurt, hor­ri­fied, angry and sad. Dis­ap­point­ments put us in cri­sis mode. Every unre­sol­ved dis­ap­point­ment takes away a pie­ce of our life space. We beco­me cau­tious, dis­trustful, cyni­cal, bit­ter and live the way burnt child­ren live. But a dis­ap­point­ment is always the end of a decep­ti­on and an invi­ta­ti­on to take a clo­ser look and learn.

Possible questions for the small group 

Read the Bible text: Ephe­si­ans 4, 15

Out­line a dis­ap­point­ment you have expe­ri­en­ced or are expe­ri­en­cing – and try to ans­wer the fol­lo­wing questions:

1. What did you feel?

2. What were your thoughts about yours­elf, about tho­se invol­ved (no names!), about God and his rela­ti­onship with you?

3. What con­clu­si­ons have you drawn?

4. What did you win?

5. Which ques­ti­on remains unans­we­red for you? And what effect does it have on you?

6. And then trans­fer tog­e­ther the mea­ning of Ephe­si­ans 4:15 into your expe­ri­en­ces of disappointment.