Do you struggle with expectations?

Do you struggle with expectations?

By nature, I am a very hopeful person, almost to a fault...

Why?  Because my hopes are really expectations...  Expectations placed on situations and people... Situations, out of my control, and people, well you know what the Bible says about people, they will always disappoint...

People will disappoint you. But God can never fail. 

It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.

 Psalms 118:8

Hope vs. Expectation

The definition of hope is:

a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.

The definition of expectation is:

a strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future.

As you can see, both of these words are very much intertwined.  In fact one of the synonyms for hope is expectation.

To me, the word hope conjures up good feelings, yet the word expectation, seems to have a negative connotation.

The following quote sums up the negativity of expectation...

“Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.” 
― Alexander Pope

The poet is implying that in order to protect ourselves from disappointment, we should never set expectations.

How many times have we ourselves heard, "You are expecting too much."  OR  "Your expectations are too high."

This seems to be such a hopeless and negative state to live in.

And believe me there are times, especially after repeated disappointments, I want to adopt Alexander Pope's view of never hoping or expecting for anything from anyone again...

Yet, inevitably the next interaction or situation comes along and I become hopeful again.   It just seems to be a part of me; Hope always rises up...

As such, my life word  is HOPE...  Friends and family know this about me - thoughtfully giving me gifts over the years of jewelry, figurines and wall art which all have the word HOPE on them.

There is something about staying hopeful that sustains us and cheers us.  Even when that hope is in sinful man or fallen creation, we still have an underlying excitement that what we hoped for or expected will happen.

How much more should our hope in an unfailing God sustain us, cheer us and excite us!

We rejoice in hope. 

Romans 12:12 

The hope of the righteous brings joy.  

Proverbs 10:28  

For you, O Lord, are my hope.  

Psalm 71:5

And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.

Psalm 39:7

Hope rises up again and again because the Spirit within us testifies to the Father's love, and His great promises.


Hoping... Waiting...  Expecting ...

We hope in prayer, waiting for answers...

Perception vs. Expectation

But our expectations can get in the way of how we perceive God's answers.

Long ago, when the Prophets spoke about the coming Savior, the people waited with a certain expectation of how He would come and what He would look like.   When that great day finally came, many refused to believe that a carpenter's son from the city of Bethlehem could be the Messiah.

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, 

nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him. 

 Isaiah 53:2

Yet the shepherds they listened and perceived receiving with great joy and blessing the Good News.

"And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,

    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”[c]

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them."

Luke 2:8-20

 Once we have received and accepted the Good News of the Gospel, every prayer we utter, is "yes in Jesus".  Not that we will necessarily receive the answer WE expected or hoped for, but we can know and have assurance that EVERY prayer is answered through a loving God who gives good gifts to His children according to His perfect will.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask {hope for} or imagine {expect},

 according to his power that is at work within us

Ephesians 3:20

God's Promises vs. Expectations

What can we expect with full assurance from Christ every hour of every day...

The Lord will accomplish what concerns {us}.  

Psalm 138:8

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11

What promised hope are we waiting for...

 That great and glorious day when we meet Jesus face to face, either at the time that He calls us home or at the Lord's return.  

Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

Titus 2:13

What has God's Word told us to expect at the Lord's return...

“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of

 nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting 

with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens

 will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Luke 21:25-28

For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, 

so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Matthew 24:27

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.

1 Corinthians 15:52

Advent is a season set aside to remember the birth of our Savior, a time to step into the expectation,  excitement and wonder of the Shepherds who followed that star and ultimately found the Lord Jesus. Let us Praise God in the same way the Host of Heavenly Angels did singing Glory to God in the Highest,  and let us rejoice in hope waiting for that Glorious day when Christ returns for His bride the Church and we will be in the Light of His Love for all eternity.

What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived" -- the things God has prepared for those who love him--

1 Corinthians 2:9

For more posts related to hope and expectation please check out the following by clicking on the titles:

How to Foster Hope When Circumstances Disappoint
Hope Floats

Three Reasons to Praise God When You Don't Feel Like It

The Assurance of Things Unseen
How to Trust God in Times of Uncertainty
Believing the Unseen

Remember, there is no need to struggle with expectations, when you put ALL of your hope in Christ Jesus.

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