Do you recall the moment when the familiar voice simply said, “write.”
There were no qualifications other than being a daughter of The King to join other Christian women bloggers and writers.
Our heart’s desire is to write for Him. And our blogs reflect our day-to-day relationship with the One we want others to know personally. Words flow, images come to mind that portray the content’s message, and then we hit publish. We’ve accomplished what God said to do.
Then there’s nothing, notta, zip, zero as we review our stats, upvotes, likes, and other indicators on social media telling us we haven’t reached one person for Christ. Disappointment begins to overtake our mission as we drink the deadly poison that deadens our joy and stifles our enthusiasm.
What’s Behind the Sudden Change?
It’s who—satan (I don’t capitalize his name), not what. He dabs on the spiritual poison to stop our God-given ministries. When we’re writing, anointed messages bubble up from an inner reservoir supplied by The Holy Spirit. Even the frustration we feel when the numbers don’t reveal the thousands we want to reach is another way the enemy sidetracks our efforts to deliver the message of the Gospel.
If we give in to these distractions, we’ll have little to say because our original vision becomes dim and bearing fruit seems impossible. We may even start looking at “successful” blogs and compare our writing with theirs so that envy and its twin, jealousy, join in fellowship with disappointment to clobber us in our tracks.
Consider Biblical Examples to Understand How Disappointment Works
Nehemiah (read all 13 chapters) became utterly despondent upon hearing from his brother, Hanani, that the walls of Jerusalem were destroyed. Even though people’s actions disappointed him and he was devastated by the news from his hometown, his immediate response was to pray and fast. He didn’t run to people for advice but went straight to God for direction for his next steps.
Nehemiah’s troubles didn’t end once he had a plan from God. He faced adversarial conspirators intent upon stopping his progress, internal upheaval among workers, and a steady line of people needing food and shelter.
The Writer’s Battle with Disappointment
So for us, that means, we have comments on our blogs sent to discourage us, bots that deliver viruses and spam on our websites, and overwhelming doubts as to whether we have anything to share. 
Here’s a quote by Dick Innes, a Christian entrepreneur, letting us know how much we need God and faithful friends in times of disappointment.
No matter how disappointed you are feeling, or how much you are hurting, know that every heartache and loss has within it the seeds of opportunity. Hidden within each disappointment is a peal of great price, that, when found, will dwarf your problem. The greatest success stories are written by people, who, against seemingly overwhelming and often insurmountable odds, have accepted their trials and turned them into opportunities for personal growth and stepping-stones on their pathway to success. With God’s help, you can do the same. Trust Him and choose friends who will empower you to do so.
When you have time, take account of other Biblical sojourners overcome by disappointment. Namely,
- Elijah upon hearing that Jezebel was out to kill him,
- Naaman when Elisha instructed him to wash in the Jordan seven times,
- The disciples of Jesus watching Him die on a cross.
Disappointment always comes on the heels of victory. So let wisdom help you stay on watch for its entrance into your heart.
[Tweet “THE BIBLE IS THE ONLY BOOK WHOSE AUTHOR IS ALWAYS PRESENT WHEN IT IS READ. – Author, Unknown”]
Steps to Flush Out and Deal with Disappointment
As with all enemy’s intrusions, the spiritual poison of disappointment tries to take authority over us at our weakest. Jesus was at his weakest physically when satan tempted Him in the wilderness. Likewise, Elijah experienced a huge victory over 400 prophets of Baal. God proved that the people of Israel could count on Him. That victory was followed by a bout of disappointment where he wanted to die.
- Gird up your loins has specific significance when fighting disappointment. In Biblical times, the term meant to gather up your tunic in preparation for battle or hard physical labor. We can do the same thing spiritually by always being ready to fight the enemy when he comes on the scene.
- Secondly, take up Saint Paul’s recommendation in Philippians 3:13-14 to forget the things behind you and reach for what you can do in the future to carry out what God calls us to complete individually. So, we don’t concentrate on the disappointments, failures, and wounds we endure but as Paul says, we press forward.
- Develop your own lists of comebacks when nasty words intent upon bringing you down sift through your mind. Instead of listening to taunting words such as “Your blog is puny, lacks interests, and no one wants to read it“, come back with a favorite scripture such as, “I can do all things through Christ who is my strength”.
After a while, flushing out disappointment becomes as natural as breathing so that God can minister to the world through you. Remember we won’t have anything to give if our reservoirs are dry. We’ll need to put The Word inside of us on a regular basis. So God’s life or Zoe continually flows through us to others.
Christian bloggers commonly take small steps, but that’s how God works. Then he’ll graduate us to more when He knows we can handle it. We may want to race ahead of Him without working through disappointment. But He really knows what’s best for us. He builds character in each of us so when the big stuff comes we’re ready to go forward boldly.
Have you found yourself dealing with disappointment in your writing ministry? Let us know in the comments your favorite way to combat disappointment.
Betsy writes for JESUS because of "Everyday Life with HIM" without pew-warming stuffiness or religious garble. She's an encourager at heart with a mission to draw others to Christ.
