Skip to main content

Can God Be Disappointed in You?

Recently I listened to a Jody Moore podcast with Kurt Francom.  I've enjoyed listening to Jody's podcasts because she frequently has some good insights into how to think about things to better handle our lives and emotions.  This particular podcast was about whether or not God can be disappointed in us:  https://jodymoore.com/gods-thoughts-kurt-francom/.  It's well worth the listen. I'm going to try to sum it up here.

Here's something to think about:  how does God feel about us?  We hear that God always loves us but how does he feel when we mess up?  Does he feel disappointed with us?  As a parent, I am frequently feeling disappointed with my children (or frustrated might be a better word) when they don't do what I would like them to do.  But I still always love my children even when I'm disappointed or frustrated. So is that how God is? Does he love us but still get disappointed in us?

Kurt Francom says no.  He says that disappointment as defined in the dictionary means that it involves some element of surprise.  When my children don't do what I ask, I'm frequently a little surprised which leads to disappointment. But God knows everything, right?  He is omniscient; if he wasn't then he would cease to be God.  So God CAN'T be surprised.  He knows that in 5 minutes or weeks or years, I'm going to mess up in some significant way despite my best efforts--and he loves me in spite of this knowledge.  So God CAN'T be disappointed!  He knows how to love perfectly.  He knows that our sins are already covered by Christ's sacrifice and the way back is already created.

Kurt calls this grace. God loves me even knowing I'm going to blow it. And if we accept that grace, we can get rid of the shame that drives us away from him.  We can stop identifying ourselves by the mistakes we're making--which takes us away from God--and instead identify ourselves as his children and recognize his love. Above all, God wants us to connect with Him so we can feel his love.  

Kurt talked about how his oldest daughter started taking her first steps when he was home with her and his wife wasn't there.  So he started filming it for his wife.  The whole video is full of his encouraging words for his daughter.  Of course she was going to fall. Of course she was going to stumble and get discouraged.  But, just like any parent, he kept encouraging her and telling her she could do it, comforting her when she cried.  Now he sees that video as an analogy for how God is always encouraging us.  He's asking us to turn back to him, to come back to his love, to try again, knowing full well we will fall again.


That's the parent I want to be.  And that's the child I want to be too--always getting back up again and feeling confident in God's love.

***I think the creative cameraman for Mindy learning to walk was Jan (or possibly David) and for Camille, it was Garrett.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Our Cousin Drew

 This last week, my brother and his wife lost a very precious son, just 13 years old. He collapsed while running with a cross-country team and passed away before he could be revived. Everyone that knew Drew is broken-hearted at this loss. He was the happiest, most agreeable kid we knew. I remember him being at my house without anyone close to his age to hang out with, so he found our Duplo blocks and started building even though it is a toy that boys his age don't usually enjoy. He was so content. He didn't complain that I ever remember. His mother always called him the perfect child. He will leave a big hole in not only his immediate family but our extended family as well.  Here is a poem my aunt shared that seems fitting: Leave Taking How I would have liked to wave goodbye  and watch until you turned and smiled and disappeared on the horizon. You who taught me to dance  and let me teach you,  who laughed at my stories  and winked at me when I was sad. I can  just see you trav
Post a Comment
Read more

Remembering Drew

 This weekend we celebrated Drew's life. On Thursday night, we gathered as an extended family and had a dinner then sat in a big circle and talked about our memories of him. I took some notes and here is what people said. Grandpa (Gary Hansen):  The last time we saw Drew was last week on the 4th. I remember all the cousins on the trampoline, bouncing up and down and playing basketball. Grandma (Susan Hansen):  I asked Drew to come over last winter to teach my Activity Day boys how to make origami stars. He was very patient in working with them even though they were pretty clueless. Eventually they all went home happily with their stars. Paula: This last winter we invited Bruce and Michelle over for dinner and we didn't have anyone his age for him to hang out with. I remember that Drew found the Duplo blocks on his own and played with them all by himself, quite cheerfully entertaining himself. I asked him if he wanted to play with a different toy--maybe something more sophistica
Post a Comment
Read more

Drew's Funeral

Yesterday was the viewing for Drew and then today was the funeral. There were a LOT of people at the viewing. Bruce and Michelle greeted people for almost four hours yesterday and then again this morning before the funeral. Bruce said that if weren't for Drew's death, it would be the best week of his life with so much love being shown to them. Friday actually began with a family run in Drew's honor. We started at a church by the new Lindon temple and ran to Bruce and Michelle's house with breakfast following. Friday night was the viewing. There was a very nice display of all things Drew. This was one of the pictures displayed and I recognized someone I know: We stood in line and the paramedics who worked on Drew stood in line behind us so we got to talk to them. Here's a fun fact:  They cover both Orem and Vineyard but Vineyard gets a lot more 911 calls than Orem per capita. It's a younger population and they are quicker to call. They said it's hard when the
Post a Comment
Read more