Trusting and Disillusionment

Let us look at trusting through disillusionment.  I am sure that you like so many others have had plenty of disillusionment.  This world rather programs us for this.  It says, you do this and get this.  You do that, and get that.  It does not always work out like the magic formulas...and there are different formulas for the same thing in different families.  In one family, the formula gets you what you need.  In another family, the formula gets you into trouble, and it leaves you wounded and wondering what happened.  

There are at least two paths we can take with disillusionment.  Usually, the results of disappointment and being let down are cumulative, and usually we try to get our grounding back by asking ourselves questions and searching for answers.  Did I misunderstand?  Was I not playing by the correct rules?  The best example of coping with disillusionment is found in the Bible.  It is the story of those who followed  Jesus.  There seems to be a given with this dynamic of dieappointment.  Either you do not have all the information (whose rules are we going by) or you are not understanding what information you have because it conflicts with what you want as outcome.

The disciples wanted to win.  In the earthly, win/lose is the name of the game.  Jesus starts out His program with the Beatitudes.  From the first, He is turning upside down the rules.  This journey is not about what you think.  He is trying to manage the expectations of the disciples.  They hear Him, but they do not hear Him.  They keep building a kingdom on earth and trying to see if they may sit on the right or left hand of Christ.  They did not understand that they were aspiring to the cross.  Some followed Christ and then turned aside...it was too hard. 

The two paths to handle disillusionment are hardening or softening of the heart.  Peter shows us that the hardness of refusing to hear and see truth brings on disappointment that is devastating.  It leaves you escaping into your own sorrow rather than sharing the sorrow with Christ on the cross.  We know that Peter loved the Lord, and his broken heart became the softened heart that was totally surrendered...Thy will not my will. 

The hardening of the heart is modeled very well by the Pharaoh of the exodus of Moses and the children of Israel.  He was not getting his way with these people, and each step of disobedience led to the next.  In all the plaques, He would not be softened and become obedient.  You might say it was his way or the highway...that highway cost him the life of his firstborn.  You have probably seen similar situations in life today.  A relationship is sacrificed because someone will not become soft and cooperative.  There is so much that could be said about the hardening; a great deal that can be learned.  The science in this process is now being called neuroplasticity.  The step by step hardening (like Pharaoh) is setting up pathways in the brain.  That which we practice we become. 

If we could see our end from the beginning, we would probably make many different choices.  When we study the examples that we have in the Bible from the standpoint of the many lessons that are taught and the modeling given to us, I believe we have something that can show us the end of the story.  We each have the potential of being Pharaoh or Peter.  What path we choose depends on if we are invested in His outcome or ours.  To get on the "soft" path, we may have to take Peter's path of disillusionment ending in a broken heart.  There will be no earthly kingdom.  Letting go of that hurts.  The end is crucifixion.  That hurts.  When all that matters is the relationship with Jesus, we are on the journey of purification.  This softens the heart and subdues the will.