The word that has been rolling around in my head the last few days is “expectation”. It seems to me that we spend much of our life in “expectation”. When we are growing up, we live in expectation of becoming a teenager, of being able to drive, of graduating high school, and then going to college.
Many of us then live in expectation of finding a good job, finding a mate, getting married, having children, and then being blessed with grandchildren. We now have seven, amazing, adorable, multi-talented grandchildren and believe me…we waited in expectation for their births!
Is there anything wrong with living with expectations? Of course not. I think it is good for us to have events to look forward to. Sometimes it is those anticipated happenings that give us hope and a bright outlook and so it is often good for us to look forward.
But, and you knew there would be a “but”, the problem occurs when we are only living for future times and wasting today. We can become so focused on our future “possibilities” that we miss the certainties of the present. How many parents spend years just waiting with expectation for the day when their kids will be in school, only to miss the precious moments of today? How many people can’t wait until they get that perfect job, and neglect the opportunities they have today to make a difference in the lives of others? How many adults wait with expectation for the day when they can retire, grudgingly enduring today and making everyone around them miserable in the meantime?
I think we need to remember that there are short-term times that we should approach with expectation. If I truly want to be more like Christ, I should begin each day in expectation of spending time with Him. I should be excited. I should be hungry to learn what He has to teach me. And believe it or not…I should even have more expectations to meet with Him than I do to see what is posted on Facebook!
If I desire to look more like Christ, I should also wait with expectation for the times when I gather in His house and hear from one of His messengers. I believe I should anticipate and look forward every day of the week to what He will teach me during the next time of worship with my brothers and sisters in Christ. That means that on Monday morning, I should already be praying for and looking forward to the next Sunday. Now some of you may be thinking…are you crazy LuAnn? I should spend the next 6 days in expectation of next Sunday…just because I’m going to church? Well, if we can wait with expectation for months and even years for events which have no eternal significance...I happen to believe we can do it for six days 😊
I have a challenge for you this week. Every morning when you wake up, approach your quiet time with the Lord with expectation. Enter into His presence expecting Him to work within you and through you. Then, each day, tell the Lord that you are already looking forward to next Sunday. Begin praying for your Pastor that the Lord would work in him or her throughout the week as he or she prepares their sermon. Begin praying that during your time of worship, you will hear Him whispering in your ear and then be open to His leading.
I believe if we live today with expectation…God will begin to work within us in a mighty way. I’m excited to hear how He is speaking to each of you and how your life is changing because of listening to Him. He is expecting to meet with you today…will you be there?
“I rise before dawn and cry for help;
I have put my hope in your word.
My eyes stay open through the watches of the night,
that I may meditate on your promises.”
Psalm 119:147-148
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