3. Persevere with courage. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote "A man is a hero, not because he is braver than anyone else, but because he is brave for ten minutes longer". So, hang on a little longer in your job, your schooling, your marriage, your health struggle or whatever you are facing. God expects us to persevere and persist. He wants us to complete our assignments and move His Kingdom ahead. He has more people to reach and more work to do for His glory. So continue serving, giving, and praying! Believe God and trust His promises. Galatians 6:9 says: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

4. Forget the past. Live life through the windshield to future not in the rear-view to the past. Choose to accept your disappointments and move on. You can't start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one. Leave your irreparable past in His hands and then step out into His incredible future. You have to let go of the disappointments and setbacks to enjoy the promises of God for your future.

5. Don't blame God. I have seen many people over the years that got mad at God for something when in reality they were the ones to blame. Our disappointments often come because of our recklessness, foolishness, and/or wickedness. Don't blame God for the consequences of your own irresponsibility. Also, many people become angry with God because He didn't do things the way they wanted. Then as things unfolded, it was a very good thing that God didn't answer their prayers as they had wished. But sadly, they act like a spoiled brat and remain mad at God. Folks, that's a foolish thing to do. Why turn your back on God, the one resource for power and strength? Remember Romans 8:28 that says: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."

6. Model God's heroes. Look at the life of Joseph. Examine the life of Nehemiah. Study the lives of Ruth, Daniel, Paul, and even our Lord Jesus. Some of our Bible heroes made serious mistakes like Moses, David, Hezekiah, and others but they didn't say it was God's will. You will find that God used their difficulties and disappointments to get them to humbly admit their fault and repent. Then, when these Bible characters endured through tough times, God was their support. God will help you as He helped them. Pattern your life after these heroes of faith.

7. Expect some disappointments. You need to remember disappointments and difficulties are a part of life. See these temporary things from God's eternal perspective. In John 16:33, Jesus said: "... In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." Sure, things don't turn out as you planned and sometimes people are mean. But God is bigger than all this stuff. David wrote about this in Psalm 18:16: "He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters." When disappointment comes, (and it will come) God will help you in your disappointments!

8. Grow through disappointment. Several years ago, a friend of mine was facing a divorce. He asked me to pray for him. I told him I would pray for him but I asked him for a favor: "Will you tell me what you learned when this is all done?" A few years later, we had lunch and he gave me his report. He told me that he learned to live on less, to trust God even when things are dark, to pray, to forgive, to let go of worry, and to be joyful in hardship. He grew through disappointment!

9. Hope in God. There are many people who let a disappointment take over their life. They allow the disappointment to move to depression and then the depression becomes defeat. The Apostle Paul told the Romans (5:5): "Hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us." On another occasion, Paul wrote: "We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed." (2 Corinthians 4:8-9 NLT)