Dismantling the Soul's Misbelief

When Dreams Die: Finding Hope on the Road to Emmaus

Have you ever found yourself walking away from something you once believed in? Maybe you're carrying a heavy weight on your shoulders, living a life you never intended to live. Perhaps you're walking away from a dream that seems to have died, feeling the gravel of disappointment beneath your feet.

If this describes your current situation, you're not alone. The story of two disciples on the road to Emmaus offers profound hope for anyone who feels like they're walking in the wrong direction.

Why Do We Walk Away From Our Faith?

In Luke's Gospel, we encounter two disciples walking seven miles away from Jerusalem - the very center of God's activity and the starting place of Jesus' mission to save the world. This wasn't just a casual stroll; they were literally resigning from the Jesus movement, throwing in the towel and giving up.

These disciples had a specific plan in mind for how God would save the world. They expected their Messiah to make Israel great again, drive out the Romans, and establish victory through revolution. When Jesus was crucified instead of being exalted on a throne, their expectations crumbled.

It's Not What Happens, But How We React

Here's a crucial insight: it wasn't what happened on the cross that made them defect. It was their reaction to what happened - how they chose to interpret and respond to events that didn't match their expectations.

Often in life, it's the things we insist on - our "musts" - that torpedo our progress. This inflexibility of thinking predisposes us to misery and despair. When someone cuts us off in traffic, we think "they must not treat me that way." When we fail at something, we see it as a judgment on our capabilities rather than an opportunity to grow.

How Can We Transform Our Perspective?

Turn Your "Must" Into a "Maybe"

The key to breaking free from disappointment is shifting from "it must be this way" to "maybe I can see this differently." Maybe what appears to be the final chapter is just the beginning of a new chapter. Maybe this failure can become a stepping stone rather than a stumbling block.

Consider the wisdom of an old man whose prize horse ran away. When neighbors lamented his terrible luck, he simply said, "maybe." When the horse returned with three other stallions, and neighbors celebrated his good fortune, he again said, "maybe." When his son broke his leg trying to tame one of the wild horses, he said, "maybe." And when war broke out and his son was passed over for military service because of his broken leg, what looked like defeat was actually rescue.

Understanding the Connection Between Actions and Feelings

Many people believe their feelings are directly caused by what happens to them. But the truth is more nuanced: it's not what happens to us that creates our emotional state, but our reaction to those things and how we choose to interpret them.

Think of your life like a car with four wheels. The front two wheels represent your actions and thoughts, while the back two represent your feelings and physiology. The steering column is attached to the front wheels, and wherever they go, the back wheels must follow.

What Does Jesus Do When We Walk Away?

He Joins Us in Our Journey

In the Emmaus story, Jesus doesn't hover above the disappointed disciples like a ghost. Instead, he joins them in their sorrow, his feet buried in the same dirt. He listens to them, interacts with them, and remarkably, he pursues them even as they're walking away from everything he represents.

This reveals something profound about God's character: even when we're defecting, he's chasing us, pursuing us to bring us back home where we belong.

He Opens Our Eyes to Truth

Jesus walked seven miles with these disciples, questioning them, listening to them, and opening the Scriptures to explain everything written about him. He helped them see that their feelings had caused them to forget the truth - the promises about a Messiah who would suffer and then rise again.

When they invited Jesus to stay with them and he broke bread, their hearts began burning within them. They recognized him and immediately returned to Jerusalem to rejoin the community of believers.

Why Does God Allow Suffering?

People often ask how God can be both good and sovereign when terrible things happen - when babies die, when faithful people suffer undeservedly. The answer isn't found in a formula or logic; it's deeply personal.

Our God is the only God in history who has scars. This tells us that God heals our hurts by joining himself to our suffering, letting us know he understands us and won't let us suffer in silence. Like a mother who doesn't read a textbook about tears to her heartbroken daughter but instead sits with her and lets those tears soak into her clothes, God attends to our suffering personally.

The Power of Motion Over Emotion

Here's a life-changing principle: it's easier to act your way into a new way of feeling than to feel your way into a new way of acting. Emotion follows motion.

You can't feel happy while slumping your shoulders and looking down, just as you can't feel depressed while standing tall with your arms raised high. Your body and actions influence your emotions more than you might realize.

Jesus demonstrated this principle when he washed his disciples' feet and then said, "Happy are you if you do it." He didn't say "happy are you if you feel like doing it" - he emphasized the doing.

Life Application

Stop waiting around to feel better, motivated, or ready. Instead, get up and walk the road, recognizing that Jesus is walking beside you. Open your heart to hear his words of encouragement and let him love you through the journey.

This week, identify one area where you've been walking away from God's plan because it didn't match your expectations. Instead of insisting it "must" be a certain way, try saying "maybe" there's a different perspective. Take one concrete action that aligns with faith rather than fear, even if you don't feel like it.

Ask yourself these questions:

- What "musts" in my life are keeping me stuck in disappointment?
- How can I turn my current struggles into "maybes" instead of dead ends?
- What action can I take this week to move toward God's purposes, regardless of how I feel?
- Where do I need to recognize that Jesus is pursuing me even when I'm walking away?

Remember, even in your doubts, disappointments, and protests, God loves and cares for you. When you open your eyes to see this truth, you may find yourself falling in love with him even more.