Can we disappoint God?
In the words of comedian Brian Regan "I submit that we cannot!"
Brian Regan was referring to something else, but the emphasis is still appropriate. And I am suggesting that we cannot disappoint God. This deep and searching question first came to my attention as a therapist at LCU. I found myself hearing students say that they felt they had disappointed God. And at some point it occurred to me that this statement was a little strange... I mean, in order to disappoint God, we have to surprise Him, right? He has to have expected something else. That's what our parents mean when they say they're disappointed in us; they expected us to do something different. But we're talking about God...
God who is omniscient - all knowing. God who knew us as He knit us together in our mother's womb (Psalm 139), who numbered each of our days (Psalm 139 again) and who knows our inmost thoughts and hidden motives (a proverb... 20ish?). I mean really - The God of the universe and The God of our hearts... can we surprise Him and therefore disappoint Him?
I think we cannot.
So as I explored this possibility with some of my clients, that providential Lord brought a really profound quote to my attention in a sermon "God expects us to fail far more often than we expect ourselves to fail'. That's theology right there. And freedom. A whole lot of freedom. I wrote that one down in my Bible and treasured that piece of information from the moment I heard it. And it fit right into these conversations regarding whether or not we serve a disappointed God.
So as we discussed these pieces of information, most of my clients determined that the God they knew and loved and wanted so badly to please was not probably disappointed in them. But then... how was He? How did God feel about them, about the situation?
To be honest, I don't remember where these conversations went exactly from there (maybe I should just claim a need not to breach confidentiality!). But I'm sure that thinking we can disappoint God is rooted in pride - thinking we could meet his standards on our own - and a misunderstanding of the grace the comes from Christ's sacrifice.
We can't disappoint Him, because we would have already. If we tried to live up to His standards on our own, we'd be damned. Reality: some people are. But He's provided a way out: Jesus. Accepting Jesus doesn't excuse us only of the sins we commit before we accept Him, or excuse of the sins where we 'didn't know better', or excuse us of the sins that are more acceptable in our culture. It washes them all. They're all gone. All gone.
And that's what God sees. Every little and big sin, gone. He sees Jesus. The answer to the impossible predicament of our sin and the need to be united with a just God.
And that's not all! He sends His Holy Spirit. It's like walking with Jesus - only the Spirit will truly and really do it all for us... if we let Him. If we surrender ourselves and ask to be filled with His Holy Spirit, we experience those fruits (love, joy, peace...) that we can never experience on our own. Heaven on earth, perhaps.
But if we don't - if we don't surrender to being filled with the Holy Spirit - He's still not disappointed. Because all God sees when He looks at us is Jesus.
It's just that we'll be missing out on true intimacy with our creator - which is what we were all created for. We miss our purpose and therefore keep searching and searching and never finding lasting fulfillment.
Is my God disappointed in me? No way. First of all - he's God. He's not surprised. Second of all - he has forgotten all my iniquities; they died on the cross. So what would he have to be disappointed about? And third of all, he's already provided my escape from myself - the Holy Spirit living in me. All I have to do is call on this might counselor and be led in freedom. So he's not disappointed, He's not even sure what I'm referring to, and He's ready for me to stop trying to do things on my own and let His Spirit do it for me.
So, I wish I had suggested those things to my clients back in the days when I was having these kinds of conversations. But I trust that God was able to lead them to the truth He wanted to reveal to them at the proper time. Just like He does with me :-)
And late at night, it somehow seems appropriate to share these revelations with whoever chooses to read them. Whoever you are :-) Mom :-)
6 comments:
I think we can. We are made "in His image" and we can be disappointed so why couldn't God. Wasn't he disappointed just before he told Noah to build that boat?
That was God before he reconciled us to us through Jesus. Our relationship with Him is through Christ now. Don't you think?
Hi!! This dosen't have to do with "Can we disappoint God?" but I just wanted to say Hey! Love Ya
Isn't it amazing how God can use someone to bring something into our lifes just when when need to hear it? LOL... thanks!
After re-reading your post: Perhaps you meant that we cannot suprise God? I'll buy that.
But, I believe that it was His disappointment in the severed relationship between Himself and mankind that caused Him to send the Christ to redeem us to Himself. I think He was disappointed with Peter, James, and John when He asked them to watch and pray (Matt26:40) and instead they fell asleep. I believe that He was not suprised, but was disappointed with Peter when he denied Him. Still loved him and knew that he was going to lead His church, but was disappointed none the less. As another example, Rev 2:14 and 20 seem to me to be expressions of disappointment in the early churches.
Not trying to be argumentative or change your mind here, just some things to think about.
This is really good for me - I know you're not trying to be argumentative :-) I think that when people say they think God is disappointed in them, they're saying they think that they're relationship with God is not good at that moment - and I'm saying that because of Jesus Christ, God's feelings towards us never change from total and complete acceptance and love. He's not disappointed when we fail, he's not surprised, he's saddened because we're sad, but he knows His justice has been fulfilled and we are reconciled to Him.
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