Never Disappointed
Christopher B. Harbin
1st Peter 2:1-10
Eeyore is never disappointed. Of course, he lives an always defeated existence, the perennially pessimistic character in Christopher Robin's 100-acre wood. He knows nothing will ever come out right, which protects him from disappointment. Life can only turn out better than he expects. That kind of protection from disappointment does nobody any good. Eeyore never enjoys the good fortune that does smile upon him, as he lives in a constantly depressed. Is there any way to live free of disappointment without casting our emotional lives into despair, despondency, and pessimism? How can we possibly live out our lives with joy that surpasses the issues of disappointment that would assail us?
Peter's words challenge us to a new way of living. He wrote a sorely disappointed people. As Jewish believers exiled after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD, they faced severe issues that sent many into an emotional down spiral. Gone were their emotional and social crutches. Gone was their semblance of stability. Gone were the known patterns of living that gave their lives structure, gave them confidence, allowed them to know the rules for business, interaction, and even locating employment.
They were sorely disappointed in the way life had turned out for them. Their very existence was under attack. They had lost more than simply homes and a way of life. Most of them had lost their sense of hope and purpose, their sense of security and well-being. The stress and anxiety of living in exile had taken hold of them with a ferocity they had not anticipated. There was a great tendency toward despondency, something akin to post traumatic stress disorder. They were in shock, due to the loss of their homeland, their security, their language, their sense of belonging, and their sense of place and identity. There was every reason to throw in the towel on life, faith, and a reason to live. Every reason humanly-speaking, that is. Pe ...
Christopher B. Harbin
1st Peter 2:1-10
Eeyore is never disappointed. Of course, he lives an always defeated existence, the perennially pessimistic character in Christopher Robin's 100-acre wood. He knows nothing will ever come out right, which protects him from disappointment. Life can only turn out better than he expects. That kind of protection from disappointment does nobody any good. Eeyore never enjoys the good fortune that does smile upon him, as he lives in a constantly depressed. Is there any way to live free of disappointment without casting our emotional lives into despair, despondency, and pessimism? How can we possibly live out our lives with joy that surpasses the issues of disappointment that would assail us?
Peter's words challenge us to a new way of living. He wrote a sorely disappointed people. As Jewish believers exiled after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD, they faced severe issues that sent many into an emotional down spiral. Gone were their emotional and social crutches. Gone was their semblance of stability. Gone were the known patterns of living that gave their lives structure, gave them confidence, allowed them to know the rules for business, interaction, and even locating employment.
They were sorely disappointed in the way life had turned out for them. Their very existence was under attack. They had lost more than simply homes and a way of life. Most of them had lost their sense of hope and purpose, their sense of security and well-being. The stress and anxiety of living in exile had taken hold of them with a ferocity they had not anticipated. There was a great tendency toward despondency, something akin to post traumatic stress disorder. They were in shock, due to the loss of their homeland, their security, their language, their sense of belonging, and their sense of place and identity. There was every reason to throw in the towel on life, faith, and a reason to live. Every reason humanly-speaking, that is. Pe ...
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