“O LORD, please send someone else to do it” ~Exodus 4:10
We’ve been talking about disappointment for a couple of weeks now and it seems like this topic has hit a nerve for a lot of women. Although it may not be ‘spiritual’ to talk about topics like these, the fact that so many of us Christian are plagued with disappointment and feelings of hopelessness means that we MUST talk about it. The enemy has kept us in silence for too long making us believe that it’s because we’re not spiritual enough and that’s why we’re not experiencing God’s freedom but the devil is a liar and it’s time we expose his lies by talking shining the light on some of the dark places in our lives.
I’ve felt led to share about this topic because for as long as I can remember, I’ve had this pervasive feeling that everything I do will turn out badly and it plagued me for far too long.
As God called me to minister to other women about strengthening their bodies, I knew that this ‘thorn in my flesh’ had to be an area of my life that needed addressing. Like Moses in Exodus 4:10-13, my insecurities and past disappointments kept me from answering God’s call on my life. The process of breaking this spirit off of my life has not been instantaneous, but over the last year I have felt the curse of disappointment breaking away bit by bit. This can also be yo
ur testimony when you commit to walking with God and spending time with Him.
Just last week in our Haven program, we learned about our tripartite nature. This means that we are made up of 3 parts- body, soul, and spirit. Every action, habit and behaviour, both good and bad, impacts our tripartite nature, and the spirit of disappointment is no exception. This post will focus what happens in the body when you’re disappointed and how this can negatively affect you for the rest of your life if you don’t learn how to address the problem.
How the Spirit of Disappointment Affects our Body, Mind and Spirit
Spirit– We have a hard time hearing God and trusting His word because it’s hard to trust Him when we’ve failed so many times in the past. In my next post we will learn how to overcome the spirit of disappointment using a variety of biblical examples.
Soul– My last post addressed how disappointment affects our soul. You can read it here: the psychology of disappointment.
Body- The Physiology of Disappointment
The impact of disappointment on your body can be life-altering if it is not addressed. This is because this spirit can change your brain chemistry, your future thoughts and the way your body functions including your body’s ability to release weight.
When we are excited by our expectations our brain releases a chemical called serotonin, which makes you feel good. It interacts with adrenaline which is what makes your heart race and makes you feel excited.
Then when our plans or expectations fall short, an opposing chemical response is triggered which results feelings of hopelessness. This wave of emotional highs and lows cause chemicals in your body to fluctuate which when prolonged, can negatively impact your health. This can includes digestive disorders and depressed immune system. The fluctuations in chemicals can also affect your sleep, your appetite, your stress levels, your energy levels and your ability to cope. All of these factors have a negative effect on your health.
So what?
What lies below the surface of constant disappointment are feelings of low self-esteem and low self-worth. Until we address the underlying issues associated with these emotions, we will continue to struggle with our health and our weight. Dieting and exercising when these underlying symptoms are here will only serve to make the problems worse in many cases.
The process of removing these blocks are an important part of permanent weight releasing.
Be encouraged! God has given us spiritual strategies to address this spirit of disappointment as well as every other emotional challenges that we experience. In the next post, I will share these spiritual strategies.
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds. 2 Cor. 10:3-4
Until Then,
Sources:
http://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/anxiety-brain
https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-14-dealing-disappointment
https://www.modernghana.com/lifestyle/4866/the-psychology-of-disappointment.html