Great Expectations

Romans 5:3-5
3) We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4) And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5) And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

December 24, 2009. Just like every Christmas Eve before, young and the old worldwide, giggled with blanketed delight in expectation of fanciful Christmas morning presents. Despite a global economic downturn, many of us yet relished in the newest toys, gadgets and “must-haves” for Christmas ‘09. Less desirable gifts were quickly tucked into dark corners of basements and closets. Goofy “Snuggies”(as seen on TV), twirling spaghetti forks (also, as seen on TV) and yes, more pairs of Argyle socks for good old dad tend to make excellent fodder for the so-called “bad gift” pile. These tokens simply failed to meet our expectations. The adage that “It’s the thought that counts” grows increasingly antiquated, as our consumptive and comparative attitudes prove misplaced and sadly insatiable. As young children, we learn to compare our possessions to those of others and invariably enter a rat race marked by the rotten cheese of covetousness. When our expectations are not grounded in the purpose of God for our lives, we grow disappointed with life; resolute to operate in spiritual and emotional defeat and stagnation whilst pursuing the beloved “American Dream”. Certainly, it is God’s will for us that we have great expectations; but not merely for material goods and personal success. He desires that we heighten our expectation in matters of spiritual merit leading us to eternal riches in God! Besides a shiny new car, beautifully toned physique and broadened financial territories, what more are you expecting from God in 2010? To what great, new spiritual heights do you stand trusting God for?

Opposition is the path to great expectations…and greatness

Here in Romans 5, we are reminded that as believers we will certainly encounter “problems and trials”. It is equally true that your recognition of the power of God in your life will prevent your growing weary in well doing. You have to understand that if you desire to be an Olympic level spiritual giant in God, your faith will be exercised. When we pray and ask God “ Lord increase my faith” we should expect some things to go wrong that require deeper levels of trust in God. If we ask for patience, it should not surprise us when time seems to stand still and people and situations fail to move forward. Allow God to develop your character on a daily basis. When people rub you the wrong way, lie to your face, cheat you for material good, or even feign love for you while harboring hatred, face them with a smile and utter thanks to God for shaping you into the man or the woman of greatness that you have been called to be.
Opposition truly is the path to greatness and great expectations. Resolve within yourself to persist at all costs! Endure when others quit, and then dare to lift your brother or sister up along the way.

Be consumed with God’s Great Expectations for your life!

It is so easy to become weighted down with negative thinking. When you fail to focus on the promises of God for your life, the enemy has free reign to introduce anxieties and frustrations that disallow the peace of God. Get your mind right. Practice thinking good thoughts and outcomes for your situation. Remind yourself of the faithfulness of God in times past. When my back hurts with arthritis and a bulging disk, I remind myself of how God healed my legs in fifth grade during a period when I was unable to walk without assistance. While our family doctor never sorted out the cause of my painful month of immobilizing symptoms, a gracious God had mercy on my 11 year old body and miraculously the pain melted away. If He healed me then, certainly, He can do it again! I am reminded of a precious verse of scripture: “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Phillipians 4:8 I will “fix my thoughts” on the truth of God’s power, the honorable nature of His faithfulness toward mankind and above all His undying love for us. We can’t help but have great expectations from God! He has a track record for doing GREAT things!


Hope in God eliminates disappointment

If we are honest with ourselves, we have all felt some sort of disappointment in this life. Oftentimes, the source of our disappointment are people; family, friends, husbands, wives, children. People. Yes, we recognize the fact that they are made of flesh, blood and imperfections, and yet we hold each other to very high levels of perfection. When people fail us, we often harbor harsh feelings of hurt and unforgiveness that leave us spiritually vulnerable to sin in our lives. I know personally several young people who having been “failed” by imperfect fathers have turned to lives of bitterness and self-hatred propelled by disappointment. As we mature in God, we grow to understand that our hope must reside in God who “dearly loves us” (verse 5) and that we can be comforted by the Holy Spirit who will “fill our hearts with his love”. Before I truly understood and embraced God’s Love and the power of the Holy Spirit in my life, I too carried the weight of disappointment. For years I wanted my natural father to be the surreal individual that I created in my dreams. When he turned out to be a mere mortal with limited emotions, resources and guidance, I grew to resent him and in doing so grew increasingly disconnected from my Heavenly Father as well. I grew to know that my real Source and Hope can not lie in people. My hope is in God. I learned to love and accept my father for the man that he was and is. For the first time in my adult life I went home recently with an attitude of forgiveness and a sense of expectation that God was going to do something special. It turned out to be the most positive time I have spent with my fathe in years! To God be the glory for what He is doing and can do in our lives! God heals our disappointments when we base our expectations and hope not in the capabilities of people, but in the power and provision of a Loving God.

Dr's. Orders

 Think about an area of disappointment in your life. Where is your focus currently? Is your focus on pursuing the plan of God while He is developing you, or are you simply looking for an easy way out? Pray that God will renew your mind to push past opposition on to victory!

Write down your top five expectations for this year. What are you doing TODAY to bring any of these to pass? Incorporate your Great Expectations into your daily prayer time and trust God for bringing it to pass!

 Choose TODAY to release feelings of disappointment from your thoughts. Whether it is a family member, situation or even yourself, I pray that you will let go of disappointment now! Choose to expect something great from God in this matter, and let the real healing begin!