Jonah 1:5b But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.
‘We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope’ – Martin Luther King Jr.
Disappointment and droopiness are closely linked. Disappointment is unmet expectations. One of the ways we combat disappointment is by hiding or sleeping to distract from the sadness. Energy levels tend to decline when we are depressed and emptiness exacerbates feelings of fatigue. Emotional exhaustion often feels like we are powerless. We feel stuck and trapped in the circumstance. Disappointment with God makes us hopeless and purposeless. Lack of motivation, irritability, apathy, loss of appetite, irrigational anger and excessive fatigue are some of the symptoms of emotional exhaustion caused by disappointment.
Disappointment is an emotion that stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system. This is the chemical response of the brain and body triggered by sadness, hopelessness and despondency.
Jonah was very disappointed with God. While he was waiting for God to avenge the enemies, the Lord sent him as a messenger of light to the enemy’s camp. Jonah was assigned the task to go to the Assyrian city of Nineveh and preach repentance and salvation. He was shocked and resistant hence he fled from his God-given purpose.
Disappointment reduces dopamine in the body which causes exhaustion. The strength of dopamine increases when we are rewarded or appreciated but drops drastically when we are frustrated and disappointed. After he fled from God taking a voyage in the opposite direction to Nineveh, he was exhausted and fell asleep in the lower deck of the ship. Jonah’s disappointment lowered his dopamine and his disobedience drowned him in the sea. However our gracious Lord gave him a spiritual awakening in the belly of the fish.
Disappointment depletes dopamine. Don’t flee, sleep or hide disappointment but confess and be set-free.
Symptoms of Disappointment:
1. Fatigue: Emotional exhaustion can augment physical fatigue. Closed doors, lost opportunities, or strained relationships are divine directions not drowning disappointments. Do you feel like curling up in the bed when you are discouraged? We cannot sleep away ‘the disappointment’. Praise and worship boosts our energy levels. Praise God for the missed opportunity; we have only missed God’s second best – the first best is on the way.
2. Flee: Disappointment causes people to flee, withdraw and hide. Many avoid talking about the hurt, pain or ache in their heart. Avoiding or running away does not heal the heart; running into the arms of the Saviour brings solace.
3. Frenzy: Disappointment can cause anger, agitation and pile-up antagonism. Disappointment with God can separate us from His calling, plan and vision. Being angry with God does not hurt Him, it only hurts us. When you are upset and agitated, find a quiet place to have a conversation with God. Speak, but also be silent to hear what He has to say. Once we hear His voice, the despondency will dissipate.
Don’t endure the symptoms of disappointment, settle it with God and be set free.
Jonah 2:1 “In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry.
Prayer: Father God, teach me to submit my unmet expectations and surrender to your will. Amen
Leave a Reply