When You Feel Let Down (Part 1)

When You Feel Let Down (Part 1)

If you’re a pastor, some people will inevitably disappoint you or let you down at times. Whether it’s someone you depend on canceling arrangements at the last minute, a member acting weird or not showing up for an important occasion, or a peer throwing you under the bus, disappointment will always be a fact of life. Stress is at an all-time high and this has put a strain on relationships and friendships like never before. You can’t stop people or things from disappointing, failing, or letting you down, but you don’t have to let it derail you from having a successful relationship with God.

The hardest thing to do is to recover from your hurt, disappointment, and anger and move forward in your walk with God in confidence and trust. Yes, people will let you down, circumstances will also, but God never will!

-Being rejected, let down, or betrayed will trigger feelings of sadness, anxiety, and anger. 

It’s important to acknowledge these feelings, rather than trying to shove them down. Pastors are wired to form trusting, stable relationships with others, and to turn to the people they love for support in difficult times. As my wife said earlier this week, "Often times the church family is closer than real family". The early church in Acts had strong social bonds that enhanced every believer's chances of surviving spiritually because of their daily care of others in the body of Christ. My how things have changed! It has become a dog-eat-dog society and even the church is feeling the effects of the social change. Statistics show that many a pastor feels insecure, anxiety, and loneliness because so much is expected of them 24 hours a day. Whether it is true or not, many a pastor feels let down by people they have poured so much into and that hurt never really goes away.

So, when you feel let down by people you've invested so much into may I suggest these three things:

-Don't let your feelings strip you of the fact that you've done more good than you even realize. 

-Ask yourself if your feelings are appropriate to the situation, or whether they might be fed by past disappointments in others that have let you down.

-Focus on overcoming this pain through the power of the Holy Spirit. He can help you do deal with more than you realize or even expect.

It's not easy, but healing will come. It may be gradual, but it will come.