When God Says, 'No' // Navigating Disappointment + Denial

Elizabeth Thompson joins us again to discuss, “When God Says, ’No’: Facing Disappointment and Denial Without Losing Heart, Losing Hope, or Losing Your Head.” We’ve all faced our share of no’s from God, especially in the last year. Elizabeth’s words minister to those who are grappling with God's nos, seeking to find Him in the middle of heartache and disappointment. She encourages us that we can maintain our faith, friendships, and hope through it all. Don't miss this life-giving perspective! 

About the Speaker
Elizabeth Laing Thompson is the author of many books, including All the Feels and the When God Says series. As a minister, speaker, and novelist, she loves finding humor in holiness and hope in heartache. She lives in North Carolina with her preacher husband and four spunky kids, and they make her feel humbled but happy, exhausted but exhilarated, sometimes stressed but often silly... well, you know… all the feels. You can find her online at ElizabethLaingThompson.com.  

Episode Notes

Finding Hope in Heartache

We can still find God in the midst of outcomes we didn’t hope for… how do we guard our hearts from bitterness? 

 Importance of allowing ourselves to grieve when God has said no.

Surrender doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be tickled pink. Grieving the nos are important as demonstrated in scripture. 

Give yourself room to grieve Different Types of No:

• BIG Nos - the life alerting ones
• Smaller No's - still significant and need to be grieved 

When there’s unworked through sadness it can quickly turn into bitterness. The grief process actually protects our connection to God.

There's an important distinction between lament and complaint. 

“What relief we feel when we realize that our circumstances don’t reflect God’s approval! Then we can simply hurt without the miseries of guilt, shame, blame, mistrust, and distance. We can take our pain to God, confident that He hurts with us…” 

When we don’t get the answer we want from God, it’s tempting to wonder why and to speculate: “God isn’t saying yes because…”

Dangers of trying to “read God’s mind”

• use caution in saying these assumptions to others as their navigating nos
• These can hurt our faith or the faith of others

“God is too good to be unkind and He is too wise to be mistaken. And when we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.” Charles Spurgeon 

2 Kings 5 - Story of Naaman

Vulnerability usually precedes healing 

It’s amazing what happens when you pray to see God work in your life and then you look for His fingerprints with eyes of faith. 

Surrender doesn’t mean jumping for joy on the grave of your dreams. 

In the bible, we see God say no to one dream, and then He gives them a new one. 

If you’re still here, there’s more in store. 

This may not be the life I picked, but I’m gonna live it and find some fresh joy!

If you want the book you can find it wherever books are sold! Click here for direct links for purchase. Enjoy!