Killing Lions - Session 5 - Pain is not your biggest battle

The hardest thing sometimes is to go to someone else’s party. That moment when the guys crossed the finish line and cheered “we did it,” inside of me a voice said, “but you were not a part of that.” It was really hard not to lose heart. Like Craig said, our biggest battle may be with hopelessness and despair. That was a far bigger lion than I the one I had planned on.

The pain, disappointment, setback, is something that every guy faces. Overcoming that, not losing heart in the face of disappointment is much bigger than anything we can face. Not to lose heart is a battle that every guy faces.

Psalm 73:26 - My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Strength of heart - letting God be your strength of heart - rallying from disappointment may be the biggest message. God, help me not lose heart!

What stuck out to you in this session?

What disappointments have you had where the pain itself was not the biggest battle (where you began to lose heart)?

How did you respond?

One of my bigger disappointments - My car accident… The financial cost was nothing compared to the “what if’s” that I faced. I felt so ashamed that I had messed up the way I did. It was almost a despair of what COULD have happened.

Craig made the statement that our biggest battle might be with hopelessness and despair. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?

Losing Hope

Why do we lose hope and begin to despair?

We are trusting in the wrong things… ourselves, another person, a job, money, looks, ability, etc.

Read Psalm 33:13-17, Proverbs 3:5-8

Psalm 33:13–17 ESV

The LORD looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man; from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds. The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue.

Proverbs 3:5–8 ESV

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.

What is the end result when we place our trust in someone or something other than the Lord?

Why is it that we continue to place our hope in things other than the Lord when they continue to disappoint us?

Holding onto Hope and Rallying from Disappointment

In the midst of failure and disappointment how do we hold onto hope?

Put our hope in the right place - The Lord

Proverbs 21:30-31

Proverbs 21:30–31 ESV

No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the LORD. The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD.

What does this verse tell us about our hope in the Lord?

It is impossible for our hope in the Lord to disappoint us. He cannot fail - He cannot falter.

Understand the purpose in our pain

Romans 5:3-5

Romans 5:3–5 ESV

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

What is our basis for rejoicing - even in the midst of struggles and pain?

We must realize that there is always a reason for hope - no matter how big the lion of disappointment is...

Cultivate an eternal perspective

John 14:1-3, Revelation 21:1-8

John 14:1–3 ESV

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

Revelation 21:1–8 ESV

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

What encouragement do you get from these passages?

This life is but a vapor - according to James 4:14 - which means that the pain and disappointment from this life is temporary as well. There will be a time where all of our tears will be wiped away from our eyes. The Lord collects our tears - Psalm 56:8 - and he does so in order to right the wrongs in our life. He will take away the mourning - there will be no more pain - all of these things will have passed away, and we will be made completely and fully new .

Prayer - Lord, help me to set my heart on You so strongly that when the world begins to crumble, You would be my strength, and my hope would not fail.