Mark 5
There is an Opportunity in Every Disappointment!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church. Today is Friday, April 24
I like it when I get what I want. Who doesn’t? But it is actually dangerous to always get what you want. How do you react when you are not allowed to have something you want? How do you handle disappointment?
In Mark 5, Jesus heals a demon-possessed man. The man then asked Jesus if he could follow Him. Listen to Mark 5:19-20, “And [Jesus] did not permit him but said to him, ‘Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.’ And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.”
Denied! What did this man do after Jesus told him “no” to a perfectly reasonable request?
Did the man throw a fit and demand his rights? Anger is a common response to denial, but sinning in our anger only makes a problem where there once was an opportunity for obedience.
Did the man throw a pity party or become passive-aggressive? To devalue yourself or others is such a damaging response to disappointment and it cuts you off from the moment of opportunity.
No. The man trusted Jesus’ love for him. He obeyed Jesus instead of demanding his own way. God then used him to be the first witness to a people who had not yet heard of Jesus.
“And everyone marveled” (v. 20).
Seize the moment and trust God when you don’t get what you want. Who are you when you are disappointed? Are people marveling at what Jesus is doing in and through you? There is an opportunity in every disappointment!
FBC wants to be there for you personally, so please dial the phone number below if you need any practical assistance or would like to talk to someone today. We are praying for you!