Disappointed in someone?

So was Samuel. He was a prophet in Biblical times, and Saul was the king and a man Samuel himself had helped elevate to the throne. Samuel, of course, hoped Saul would be a dependable leader, obedient to God's commands. But to his disappointment, Saul did not measure up.

We all have our hopes -- perhaps for an ideal marriage partner; a true friend; a happy, obedient, diligent son or daughter; an employer who recognizes our wonderful abilities; even a great political leader. But sometimes people just do not fulfill our expectations. And there may be times when the deepest disappointment of all is with ourselves -- when we feel that somehow we didn't measure up.

But we need not burden ourselves with such disappointment. The Bible tells us the Lord said to Samuel, ''How long wilt thou mourn for Saul . . . ?'' n1

n1 I Samuel 16:1.

Christian Science can heal disappointment by giving us a sounder basis on which to place our hopes. This solid foundation is what the Bible teaches about God and man. The teachings and works of Christ Jesus, for example, bring into clear focus the provable truth of one supreme God, and man in His image. This is the truth of ourm being, and it never fails.

Our God -- the one all-powerful, eternal Spirit -- is Himself unfailing. And man is the expression of God. Man's relationship to the Supreme Being is direct, unbroken, and active. It is not an abstraction.

Through prayer, you and I can learn to think of ourselves consciously in these true terms. We can every day trust and prove our unity with God. And we can understand others in the same way - as inseparable from Deity.

Evil claims to place itself in opposition to God, good, and to reverse good. It would cut us off from God by calling man mortal and defining him in biological terms. But this is not the truth of man as God has created him. Part of Mary Baker Eddy's n2 definition of ''creator'' in the Christian Science textbook is, ''Spirit; Mind; intelligence . . . .'' And further along the definition continues, ''. . . God, who made all that was made and could not create an atom or an element the opposite of Himself.'' n3

n2 Mrs. Eddy is the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science.

n3 Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,m p. 583.

When we link our hopes to another person, identifying him as a mortal with ups and downs, we may well be disappointed. Looking to any human being as the source of something substantial, something real and true, something we feel is close to the core of our existence, is really unfair to that individual. It is God who is the meeter of needs, the promoter and provider, the Father-Mother of all. And as we seek His help in prayer, we are not disappointed. We begin to see others in a new light -- not as undependable sources of good but as expressions of the good that is God.

In the very individual whom we had pressured with some heartfelt hope -- and who had perhaps disappointed us - we can discover someone as closely related to God as we are -- His spiritual image. And part and parcel of such a discovery is a recognition of the bottom line: God alone is worthy to be trusted with our aspirations and desires and hopes.

Our higher, spiritual view of God and man may lead to a renewed friendship or perhaps to a new one. Whatever the outcome, we will have progressed to a more understanding and compassionate view of ourselves as well as others. ''Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature,'' God told Samuel as he went out to anoint another king -- David, ''. . . for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.'' 4

How many times have we felt deep disappointment -- not just with others but with ourselves -- because we acted too rashly or treated someone unfairly. And it was just the opposite of what we felt in our heart. n4

n4 I Samuel 16:7

As we realize our unity with God every day through prayer, trusting Him to care for our needs and to guide our perceptions, we'll have a lasting remedy for disappointment. DAILY BIBLE VERSE Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. John 7:24