Facing Financial Disappointment

Disappointment is inevitable, but discouragement is a choice. When things don’t go your way, do you get discouraged? Or even angry? There’s a better way to handle financial disappointments.

People love to look into the future. We all have hopes, dreams and expectations about what we want our life to be. So, we make plans. Plans to save, serve, build a family, work, travel, learn, grow— you name it. Planning is part of what it takes to make our dreams come true.

There’s nothing wrong with planning. Planning is an important part of being a good steward of whatever God has entrusted to you, but here's the problem. Our plans don’t always succeed. Dreams fail. Expectations go unmet. Then, disappointment happens, maybe more than we want to admit.

Perhaps you invested your savings, but now inflation is killing your returns. Or you worked hard to start a business, but it still isn’t making a profit. You planned for your marriage to last, only to experience an expensive divorce.

Maybe you’ve been working towards that promotion, but someone else got the job. Or, you planned to have a big nest egg when you retire, but health issues have reduced your savings. Then there’s always the disappointment of finding your adult child living in your basement when you thought they were going to be financially independent.

Maybe one of those situations sounds familiar. The question is, how do you handle the disappointments and unmet expectations you face?

Financial disappointments can cause some people to shake their fist at God and lose faith. Others might become discouraged, depressed or apathetic. Sometimes, disappointment leads to broken relationships. Stress and anxiety are common responses when our plans fail. In fact, the more important we think something is, the more upset we are when our expectations aren’t met.

It’s not sinful to feel disappointed, but your reaction to disappointments can become sin if you’re not careful. According to God’s word, discouragement, anger, unforgiveness, bitterness, and fear are all sinful attitudes. Ephesians 4:31 warns about them: “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you.”

You can respond to disappointment with discouragement, anger, fear, or apathy, or you can take a more positive approach, realizing that unmet expectations are often God’s way of leading you in a new direction. Just look at how many disappointed people there are in the Bible, and see how God worked in their lives.

Examples include Sarah and Hannah, who couldn’t have children. Or Joseph, whose brothers sold him into slavery. Or imagine how Jesus must have felt when Judas betrayed him, but the Lord had amazing plans for these unmet expectations: Sarah and Hannah ultimately had children who changed the world. Joseph saved his people. Jesus saved us all.

Keep in mind, your response to the disappointments in your own life can be a powerful witness to those around you. Maybe this isn’t the way you thought your life would turn out, but God can use your unmet expectations for your good and his glory.

So what is a godly approach to financial disappointments?

When life doesn’t go your way, it’s common to look for someone to blame. Instead, ask God to help you forgive the people who’ve hurt you. Begin to pray for the strength to live through your difficult circumstances. In addition, recognize that it may be time to let go of your expectations, and ask God to show you his plans. People and circumstances are unreliable, but Hebrews 13:8 reminds us that “Jesus is the same yesterday and today and forever.” The Lord is always loving, faithful, and just.

God never fails. You can trust Him, even in the midst of your deepest disappointments, when big expectations come to nothing and people let you down. God will make a way for you every time. It might not be what you expect, but it will be good. Hold on to what’s true, from Romans 8:28: “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

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