A friend was bemoaning to me recently that there were a lot of people in life one cannot count on, including close family members.
“This is true,” I agreed. “Few live entirely up to our expectations,” I added. And I continued to expound that humans have their good qualities, their “could be much better qualities,” and their “where is that quality to begin with?” aspects.
It can be severely disappointing when a close associate or trusted family member acts contrary to our hopes. Perhaps a spouse lacks sensitivity, a co-worker fails to follow through, a relative turns their back, or a good friend has other priorities than you. Disappointment can abound when faith is put into a human person, so life teaches.
And what is the lesson to be learned?
Put faith in God.
God is the one associate, friend, and companion you can always count on to support and love you no matter what the world throws in your direction.
God’s love for you is not fickle, partial, wavering, cyclical, absent, or hard to figure out. It is complete, total, and absolute.
When one leans on human hopes and expectations, there will likely be a crushing disappointment somewhere along the way. Human/material so-called existence is temporal, and just can’t be relied upon for permanent sustenance without fail.
But God can be trusted. God is forever. God is absolute.
When you lean on God’s grace and love, you’ll never be let down.
“To those leaning on the sustaining infinite, to-day is big with blessings.”
~Mary Baker Eddy
Thank you, Evan. I find this very helpful. Human life it seems, is all about relations with all the joys and disappointments it may hold. – Trust in God is a good choice; the word ‘religion’ stems from Latin ‘religare’ meaning ‘fasten, bind fast, depend, trust’- I used to buy every self help book I could get hold of and now I find the best books for that matter the Bible and Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy.
This is a tough one. Especially for people who are not sure they know how to feel God’s presence. If there truly was an everpresent all-good friend that never disappointed us, there wouldn’t be suicides and depression and despair. If God truly never let us down, there wouldn’t be wars and bankrupcies and accidents. But there are…at least in our human experience. So I don’t see how we can say God never disappoints us or lets us down and we can always count on him. It’s conditional, not unconditional. Or at least so it seems.
I agree with anonymous feeling “God’s presence” is the key to each of us. Thank you, Ann
To “this is a tough one…”
The key is to understand God. God is Spirit. God’s help, God’s friendship and companionship is always spiritual.
If one has a material concept of God, and thus leans on some type of material reliance or person, they may think they are turning to God, but they are not. God is Spirit. When one truly leans on Spirit, there will be no disappointment. Disappointment comes when expectation is somehow tied to matter, people, things, mortal outcomes.
You can always count on Spirit. It delivers eternal life, happiness, joy and health.
I agree, that it doesn’t seem easy to have this reliance at times, which is because we’ve been taught to have material dependencies so frequently. But through practice, patience, and increased spiritual understanding and growth, the spiritual reliance comes, and we learn through experience where to put our faith and trust in the first place. And that’s when we find all the good God has for us. And it is dependable.
Evan, how did you know I needed this? 🙂
Struggling a bit with some family dynamics and “hurt feelings.” This was just the truth I needed to be reminded of! Okay, put your faith and trust and love in Father-Mother Love, and you will won’t be let down, ever! Love this, thanks!
Ditto to Anonymous where family has disappointed with hurt feelings! This topic couldn’t have come at a better time!
Coincidental? I would add an emphatic “NO”.
To ” this is a tough one…” , I have learned that there are no coincidences , but so many proofs of God’s presence even before we ask!
A spiritual seeker in Colorado
Thanks, Evan! This is a timely topic for more than one of us! I appreciate all the comments, too. I’ve been working with the verse in James that declares ‘with Him there is no variableness, nor shadow of turning’–and from Deuteronomy “He is the rock………” and of course, Jesus tells us that God is a Spirit–when I work from that standpoint and quit trying to harmonize matter, I get results! the trick is to remember…….