Expectation, Expectation, Expectation

A statement made by someone in a meeting annoyed me so deeply that I was mulling over it too much for my satisfaction. I couldn't really understand how someone can make such comment, and someone else to accept it for a fact without questioning it. The person stated that the best comment she ever heard from an acquaintance was that “one should learn to live without expectations.” As she tried to explain herself, my understanding was that she was inferring that one will live at peace and without many issues if one didn't expect anything from anyone and probably of life.

I also read a book recently that raised comments in my mind about the word “expectation.” The author in this fiction book tries to portray the attributes of my God in His ways of dealing with His creation in their suffering. The author was very clever at creating a God of his own imagination with a personality and character for each of the manifestation of the Holy One and true Godhead. One of the “God” characters stated that because he knows everything about humans, he wasn't expecting and never placed an expectation on them. Thus since he has no expectations, we never disappoint him. I understood that expectation to him was one way human uses to control behavioral performances.

The book is written in such a loving and caring style and the author's statement about “expectation” was so liberating that people under bondages with a distorted view of the loving Father could really be set free. People could feel refreshed by the easy reading and flow of the intrigue like I was. But I also wonder how they will use the appropriated freedom and how they will really perceive Father after reading the book. Although I know that too much expectation bring disappointments, and that disappointments hurt, should we really live expecting nothing of life and people? And does God really expect nothing of us?

The dictionary defines expectation as: the state or act of expecting; thing looked forward to; thing as likely to occur, to appear. Some synonym words could be hope, anticipation, trust, presentiment, apprehension. Since English is not my first language, I researched on the word “expectancy” and “expectation” because of the conflict going on in my mind and the trembling in my soul. Everywhere I turn takes me backs to the same word to explain this attitude of anticipation, of apprehension or expectancy. Expectation to me is living with anticipation of something positive being manifested. Although I do not like certain people putting expectation on me because of the sense of obligations often attached with it, let me share with you how I perceive it since I am at a loss for another word to use.

I expect so much of life, people and God that I often have to bring myself back to reality for lack of materialization of things hoped for at times. As a dreamer, I often say that nothing is impossible, and everything is possible if people would do what God says, trust Him and love each other. However, I know that with human beings, there is constant possibility for failures and errors. I never doubt God when things I am hoping for and requests made don't materialize. Father has already done so many miracles in my life and answered so many of my requests to show His love to me. I know that He loves me and is working everything out according to His perfect will for my life because I am a favorite daughter. Smile! Stop right there, Does God really have favorites? Find out for yourself (Acts 10:34-35).

As I stated earlier, I expect much of life, people and God. I expect people claiming to be children of God, to keep their words, love others, be fair, have integrity, be honest, help others and live a life worthy of the callings of God in their lives. I expect friends and family members to be faithful, loving and accepting of each other despite their human frailties and weaknesses. I expect when I go to church to hear the Word of God spoken boldly, faithfully and clearly with power and authority. I expect that corporate worship songs should magnify, glorify, thank, worship and praise the Almighty Father and our Savior Jesus. I expect Christians I come in contact with to love Jesus and be zealous for his mandate of reaching out to a lost world.

I don't expect much of non-believers although I have found people of other faith with strong moral values and who are easier to work and communicate with than some Christians I come in contact with. To me expectation is living with hope. Although hope deferred makes the heart sick, I chose to continually hope in the Father because the Word of God has given me hope and life (Psalm 71:14; 119: 49-50; Proverbs 13:12). Expectancy to me is breeding ground to miracles, and I need so many to carry on with my life. I learned through the various issues in my life that “Happy is he whose hope is in the Lord.” (Psalm 146:5)

As I go back to my understanding of the word expectation I came up with a few questions: Do employers expect nothing from their employees? Do I send my children to school and take care of them the best I know how expecting nothing? Did Father send Jesus to die on the cross expecting nothing? Did Jesus share His blood and died on the cross for the sin of the whole world expecting nothing? Did Jesus expected nothing when He established the principles of the kingdom of God and sent the disciples and all future believers in His name to fulfill the great commission by being fishers of man and commanding them to make disciples of all nations? Does the potter work with the clay expecting nothing? Isn't Father expectantly seeking for people who will worship Him in spirit and in truth?

Moreover, is Jesus standing and knocking at the door of our hearts expecting nothing? And, as we receive Jesus into our hearts, is the Holy Spirit Father sent to us without expectation? Is the Holy Spirit Father doing the sanctifying work in our lives expecting nothing? Aren't we being transformed from glory to glory into the image of Christ? Doesn't Jesus expect His followers to obey His commands and to love each other? Didn't Jesus say that if we obey His commands and His word we have come to know Him and God's love is made complete in us (1 John 2:3; 5). Didn't Jesus say that if we confess our sins He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

Do you see an action on your part whether it is obedience or acceptance with these few words “if we obey; if we confess,” and Jesus responding to your act of faith in him? Doesn't God show us through the bible who He is and what He expects of us? Doesn't God expect us to freely obey and trust Him when He commands us to believe in the name of his son, Jesus Christ and to love one another? There are so many stories in the bible that showed great deliverance when someone waited and expected God to act on their behalf. The woman in the bible with the issue of blood expected something good to happen to her when she touched Jesus—and she was healed. The lepers, the friends of the paralyzed man on the mat who lowered him through the roof, the blind people, all expected Jesus to touch them with healing in their body--which He did.

As I live my life I expect Father to give me strength to endure whatever comes my way. I expect Father to renew my mind, my heart and my spirit everyday as I ask Him to guide me. As I pray I wait on Father with a spirit of expectation knowing that He will always answer me. Could it be that this complacency attitude of non-expectancy is making believers spectators on the sidelines instead of active participants with the Holy Spirit Father in the great work Father is doing in this end-time hour that will bring the full manifestation of the kingdom of God with the return of Jesus as King of Kings and Lord or Lords?

I accept that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. I have hope in the living God who died for me and was raised from the dead. I have hope in the new birth promised to me, that I will be transformed in the image of Christ with a new resurrected body, and that I will be with Him forever wherever He is leading me to (1 Timothy 4:10; 1 Peter 1:3, 21; Galatians 5:5). I have hope in the new heaven and the new earth, and for the glorious time when all sorrows will cease and Jesus will wipe away all tears from our eyes. Hallelujah!

As stated in Romans 8:24-25 “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” We must learn to give ourselves completely to the Holy Spirit Father so we can walk and do all things in the full power of the Spirit like Jesus did when He lived on the earth, or be like the patriarch Abraham when he called those things that are not as though they were.

I know that Father is with me no matter what I am going through. I know that His life is flowing through me as I allow Him to lead me in safe pasture. I am saying with the apostle Paul that if only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men (1 Corinthians 15:19). As I am writing this article, I can't take away from my heart this old tune: “My hope is built on nothing less, Than Jesus blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus name. On Christ the solid rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand, All other ground is sinking sand.” What about you? Are you living with or without expectations?

Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and obey it! (Luke 11:28)

Marie Monaus 4 Jun '08