As long as you are a conscious human being you are going to have expectations. You can, perhaps, think back to your childhood years when you had some exciting realistic expectations, or perhaps those void of realism. Some of those expectations led to celebratory experiences, while others may have ended in disappointment. And even as adults, your expectations, whether realistic or unrealistic, can lead to the same outcome. Expectations is defined by Collins Dictionary as “a belief or strong hope that something will happen or that a desired outcome will be achieved. It can also refer to the act of waiting for or looking forward to something.”
No soon after Christ is born, there is a death decree by Herod for all the children two and under around the area of Bethlehem to be killed in order to get rid of the promised “Seed” who is Jesus, Himself (Galatians 3:16). Jesus’ parents had to flee to Egypt for safety after being given instructions by an angel. What a tough beginning for the Son of God! With His Father being God, wouldn’t it seem as though things should have worked out more smoothly?
Jesus’ home became Nazareth once it was “safe” to return. He returned when Herod was dead and there was no threat to his life, but Nazareth was notable for its wickedness. You can tell how bad Nazareth was because of Nathanael’s question, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46). In addition to the challenges of living in this little town, Jesus and his family were also very poor. As Jesus grew older, He who created worlds by the power of His word, worked as a carpenter in a carpenter’s shop. And when He began His mission on this earth, Jesus seemed to do things that did not meet the expectations of even the religious leaders of His time. Even His disciples' expectations were at cross purposes with His while He was suspended on the cross, with their belief that He would have an earthly throne upon which He would reign. It is evident, therefore, that the Word of God needs to be the means of determining if your expectations are valid.
God’s expectations are often very different from yours or mine. He says,”My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways” (Isaiah 55:8). He “is disappointed when His people place a low estimate upon themselves. He desires His chosen heritage to value themselves according to the price He has placed upon them. God wanted them, else He would not have sent His Son on such an expensive errand to redeem them. He has a use for them, and He is well pleased when they make the very highest demands upon Him, that they may glorify His name” (Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p.668). Regrettably, even if others have diminished you in the past, or if you have judged wrongly regarding your self-worth, it is time to consider what really matters — what God thinks. Therefore, you can expect that working in cooperation with Jesus, there will be ongoing character development.
“Our first duty toward God and our fellow beings is that of self-development. Every faculty with which the Creator has endowed us should be cultivated to the highest degree of perfection, that we may be able to do the greatest amount of good which we are capable.” “Christians are under obligation to God to keep soul, body, and spirit free from all that will defile; for they have been bought with a price” (Ellen White, Sons and Daughters of God, p. 313). In fact, the inquiry of everyone should be — “How can I invest my powers so that I may yield the greatest profit? How can I do the most for the glory of God and the benefit of my fellow beings” (Ellen G. White, To Be Like Jesus, p. 301)
There are sometimes, however, expectations you may have for your fellow beings that are unreasonable. Seasoned believers sometimes have expectations of new believers, forgetting that growth is not instantaneous. Wives at times have expectations of husbands that seem impossible for them to meet, and vice versa. Parents have expectations for children often forgetting that the children have been molded primarily by their example set in the home. Friends, too, have expectations of each other that at times create tension or rifts. Let Jesus, on the other hand, be “the fullness of [your] expectation” (Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, August 26, 1890), embracing all that He is to the seeker of truth and of righteousness, and His promises that can never go void.
Jesus desires that you value the sacrifice made at Calvary as an expression of God’s great love to you. “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5: 8, 5). He died so that “righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30) are yours by faith in His grace. With such love poured out for you on the cross, Jesus wants you to realize your need for His love to capture your heart. Not only will your love deepen for Him, but your character will be transformed “from glory to glory . . . by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18). Expect a God of love and compassion to meet you wherever you are on your spiritual journey today as you open your heart to Him.
Kommentare