Everyone needs to be disillusioned some time or another. Disillusionment may be associated with naivete or betrayal. Plenty of people become disillusioned with spouses or others upon whom they had placed high expectations, perhaps unadvisedly.
Whatever the immediate reason for our disillusionment, at some point we had believed something that was untrue.
Humorous (for us, but painful for them) examples of disillusionment can be seen on old episodes of auditions for the TV show, American Idol. (Note the title, which points to the illusion of the glamor of being idolized by others.) Every season people who thought they were great singers were unceremoniously told that they could not sing by the judges. Someone had led these contestants to believe that they had great voices, and they believed it. They lived in the illusion that they were wonderful, when they were actually awful. The judges disillusioned them, which forced them to face the truth about their singing ability. Many of them became angry and lashed out at the judges, declaring they did not know what they were doing. It was meant to be funny, but it was also tragic and necessary. Afterward they would be able to move forward in their lives rather than waste their time in the pursuit of a fantasy.
Most of us serve illusions of one sort or another regarding ourselves, others, marriage, work, God, and the world in which we live. While counseling young couples who are preparing for marriage, I usually inform them that the man hopes his wife to be will never change, but the woman hopes to change her man. They both likely will be disappointed or disillusioned. We try to put our best foot forward during the courting process. After we tie the knot, we tend to relax into our “normal” way of being and doing things, which may be an unwelcome surprise to the spouse. Sometimes young couples go into a marriage expecting that their spouses will be responsible for certain things, as they saw modeled in the home in which they grew up. I often ask the couple during counseling, “Who will clean the bathroom?” “Who will handle the finances?” “Who will wash the dishes?” “Who will do the cooking?” Where will you spend Christmas? Thanksgiving? Do you want children? How many? You get the point. These are things to talk about ahead of marriage to avoid unwelcome surprises later.
We all tend to be deceptive and be deceived to one degree or another.
Women wear make up to create an illusion of beauty that may not naturally exist. We all tend to act in ways that may be somewhat unnatural to ensure that (deceive?) people will like or accept us. Some people resort to being a comedian to hide insecurity. Others may be silent rather than reveal they hold an unpopular position. Ironically, however, if we deceive people into liking the illusion we project, we do not know if they really like the real us! We may feel required to continue the charade until we are at last found out.
True friends know what we are really like and love us anyway.
What a relief to get beyond pretenses! It is delightful to meet and relate to truly honest people, even if it makes us a little uncomfortable at first.
Illusions about God and Ministry
Most of us probably have illusions about God. It is popular today to imagine that God is all love and that he would never condemn anyone to hell. But that is not the God of the Bible, is it? When God revealed himself to Moses, he told him that his name is “I Am Who I Am,” not “I Am Who You Want Me to Be.” If we serve an illusion of who God is instead of the true God, are we not idolators?
A big part of life for a disciple is coming to terms with who God really is and surrendering as completely to him as we are able.
Many disciples have illusions about ministry, too. If we receive a “call” from God to serve him and others, we usually have ideas of what that will look like that may not be accurate. In our pursuit of God we may be heading for disillusionment as we come to terms with reality. Whatever ministry we may have will produce fruit according to God’s grace, not from trying to fulfill some fantasy of what ministry is supposed to be.
Happiness and satisfaction come from simply being the person whom God created us to be and fulfilling his true call upon our lives.
Illusions work just the opposite. Some of us labor under the illusion of inability and incompetence instead of believing that God can and will use us to do his work. Moses was just such a man. Early in life, Moses felt called to help the Israelites. He tried doing it in his own way, but was quickly rejected and became disillusioned. He fled to the desert where he spent decades tending sheep for this father-in-law. Then one day God appeared to him and commissioned him to go back to Egypt and liberate a nation. Moses came up with excuse after excuse. He had been so disillusioned in himself that he had lost faith in God, too.
We should be careful to never to allow our disillusionment to spill over into unbelief. The Lord wants us to move away from self-confidence toward God confidence.
Strongholds
Illusions are a type of lie that the Bible calls a “stronghold.”
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (ESV)
Beginning with Adam and Eve, mankind has shown a propensity for believing lies. Satan knows this and is a master deceiver. Jesus identified him as the “father of lies.”
In general, people accept lies more easily then they do the truth.
One salacious slander is usually more easily believed than a hundred truthful protestations of innocence. Knowing this, politicians use smear campaigns to “dirty up” and defeat their opponents. People remember the dirt, even if it is later refuted. Sadly, once people make up their minds, it can be very difficult or impossible to change them. As Mark Twain once said, “It is easier to fool someone than to convince them that they have been fooled.” To be blunt, illusions are lies. If we believe a lie, we need to be disillusioned.
Disillusionment takes place when it becomes evident to us that the lie we once believed is not true.
This can be very traumatic. Some people simply choose to deny the truth and continue in deception, preferring the camaraderie of the lie over fellowship with the truth. Others never recover from their encounter with truth and enter the nether world of apathy and unbelief. Still others are able to learn from their past mistakes and move forward. Can you imagine how difficult it would be for a college professor who built his or her entire career on promoting Darwinism and evolution to come to terms with the truth of intelligent design and specific creation? Can you understand how challenging it is for those of us who abandoned the truth of Genesis Chapter One in favor of the pagan-inspired solar system to admit we were wrong?
The more invested we are in a lie, the more difficult it is to escape, but with God all things are possible. The key for us is to love God’s truth, no matter where it may lead us.
The Benefits of Peter’s Disillusionment
Just before his passion, Jesus told his followers that they would be scattered when he embraced his assigned destiny to die on the cross as God’s Lamb.
Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” 33 Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” 34 Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” 35 Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same. Matthew 26:31-35 (ESV)
Peter believed a lie about Jesus’ destiny, and he held on to false ideas about himself, too. He imagined that he was much stronger and more faithful to Jesus than he actually was. His confidence was based on trust in his own strength and convictions. He was proud and due for a fall, and he was not alone. The other disciples said the same thing, but Jesus chose Peter to be an example to us all.
When Jesus was first taken captive in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter sprang into action, just as he promised Jesus that he would. He took his sword and attacked those who came to arrest Jesus, cutting off the ear of the servant of the high priest. Jesus commanded him to put away his sword and healed the wounded man. (Matthew 26:52-56)
Peter was ready to die fighting for Jesus and a kingdom he thought was imminent, but not prepared for the reality of God’s will. Peter was greatly disillusioned that night. He learned that following Jesus was not what he thought. In this state of confusion and fear, he denied his Lord three times, just as our Lord told him.
I believe Jesus forewarned Peter that this would happen to help him hang on by faith that he would be restored. Knowing that Jesus knew in advance about his coming failure certainly must have given Peter hope. Jesus did not condemn Peter for his faithlessness under fire, he gave him a promise instead. Luke’s account of the incident adds some important details.
“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” 33 Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” 34 Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.” Luke 22:31-34 (ESV)
Knowing that God selected us to belong to him, despite knowing all about our sins and failures in advance, should give us all great hope, just as it did Peter.
Peter needed to be disillusioned. He needed to find out that he was not all he imagined himself to be. He needed to discover that God loved him despite everything. Disillusionment brought humility and security. I feel sure that Peter was never the same afterward. His faith in himself was less, but his faith in the grace and mercy of God was far greater.
The Peril of Judas’ Disillusionment
Judas was another disciple who became disillusioned, but he did not benefit from it. His idea of who Jesus was (and is) and what it meant to be his follower was overthrown. He gradually realized that Jesus had not put him on a trajectory to acquire wealth, power, and fame. Rather, he apparently became offended at Jesus’ disregard for money, when Mary anointed him with expensive oil prior to his death. It was just after that pivotal event that Judas agreed to betray Jesus for a fee. The sad part is that Judas never found room for repentance. His disillusionment led to his destruction.
What we do when we are confronted with the truth makes all the difference.
Principles for Handling Disillusionment
Following these principles can help us to profit during times of disillusionment.
- Decide to follow Jesus, no matter what. Disillusionment will not rock the world of a surrendered person. We know we are serving a person who ultimately controls everything and is working all things for our good and his glory. (Romans 8:28)
- Become well acquainted with the Bible. Disillusionment becomes necessary when we believe a lie. We can insulate ourselves from deception by embracing the truth of God’s Word. If we value truth above all else, we will be thankful when God delivers us from believing a lie.
- Develop the habit of being thankful. Thankfulness reveals a heart that is humble and surrendered. The Bible teaches us that thankfulness glorifies God. (Ephesians 5:20) We will experience a new measure of God’s grace as we develop a habit of thankfulness.
- Expect to encounter suffering and tribulation in life. One of the greatest illusions many Christians face is that following Christ should be trouble free. Quite the contrary, God uses suffering and pressure to make us more like Jesus. Those who are ready for such things will find it much easier when suffering arrives on the scene. (1 Thessalonians 3:3)
Prayer
Jesus, I am grateful that you love me past comprehension and are faithful despite my own unfaithfulness. Thank you that you are leading me into more and more truth. Please deliver me from any area in my life in which I serve a lie. Help me to pass through every period of disillusionment and come out on the other side a stronger and more devoted disciple. Help my faith not to fail, Lord. I give you thanks for how you are working all things together for good in my life. May I bring glory to your name. Amen
