We have all suffered from unmet expectations. We expect to receive something, but it never comes. We expect events to happen a certain way, but the progress in a totally different way. When our expectations are nor met, we may get frustrated or angry. In reality, we have made these expectations into false gods in whom our self-worth is entrusted. This anger comes because we have tied our self-worth to our expectations and our self-worth is now threatened by unmet expectations.
Jonah 2:8 says, “Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies.” Idolatry places our self worth in something that replaces God from first place in our lives because we have turned our backs on His mercy. Idolatry becomes evident when we become angry or frustrated because the false god, and therefore, our self-worth is threatened. We must evaluate the things we get angry and frustrated about to see if we have made something more important than God in our lives by turning our backs on God’s mercy and our self-worth is thereby threatened. We must humbly return to God’s mercy and place God in the forefront of our lives again.
Reluctant Retiree 