What are your expectations for your life?
âNobody succeeds beyond his or her wildest expectations unless he or she begins with some wild expectations.â â RALPH CHARELL
Unconscious expectation
Whatever you expect with certainty is very often what you will get in your life.
What the Bible says about expectations
Asking and Believing
Jesus said, âBelieve that what you ask for, you will receiveâ Of course, if weâve been Christians very long,, we know that this asking, this expectation, is always to be within Godâs will. But when weâre walking close to God, we are in his will and can trust that we expect is within his will.
Knowing what you want
An example
There was a study done some time ago about patient recovery after surgery. Those who had very high expectations recovered at a lower rate. Those who had realistic, but at the same time optimistic, expectations recovered much quicker. Expectations that are optimistic AND realistic are a much better choice.
Expect the worse and hope for the best?
When you expect the best and get the best.
Very often, I will ask myself, âIs that your best effort, Rebeccaâ? Now sometimes, I may actually decide that something is good enough. Not everything has to be perfect as long as we deliberately make that decision. Thatâs different than getting used to âsettlingâ as a way of life.
The difference between hoping for something with uncertainty, and depending on something with expectation, is nothing but the way you control and direct the focus of your mind. What you say to yourself, the images you imagine and your behaviour are what you can consciously control and direct.
Donât choose âwhateverâ
The Bible is full of verses about seeking the highest and best for our lives. That doesnât mean we will get rich, famous, or anything like that. Great expectation has more to do with what we want to feel about our lives and our future. Itâs a great deal about hope and who can live without hope?
Great expectations create great results.
Remember, though, not everything in your life is important. Each person has to decide that for themselves. Iâve worked my entire life expecting the best in people, and situations. I donât regret it. What I do regret is the times, I let some things slide because I didnât seek the highest God has for me.
I read something a long time ago that has really stuck with me. It overlaps with prayer. Basically, itâs that God has abundant blessings for everyone who believes in him, but that they are not dispersed unless we pray for them. Again, I think scripture supports that throughout. Of course, most of us donât think that way. We canât imagine that there is so much more for us than we can even ask for.
Donât be afraid to strive for and expect the best. God wants more for us than we could possibly know. Remember, âGod can do moreâŚâŚâ Ephesians 3:20.
God bless and have a great day.
- Proverbs 3: Trust In The Lord NOT Yourself
Trust in the Lord, not yourself. Proverbs 3 explains why leaning on your own understanding falls short, and what God promises when you acknowledge Him. - Dreaming canât save us, but itâs a place to begin.
Dreaming kept George and Lennie going, but it couldnât save them. A Christian look at Of Mice and Men, broken dreams, and a hope that holds. - 1. Proverbs 3: Bind Kindness and Truth Around Your NeckSolomon opens Proverbs 3 with a plea: donât forget what Iâve taught you. Kindness and truth arenât things you have. Theyâre things you put on, every single day, on purpose.
- What the book, The Shack, Got Right About God and Grief
A Christian reflection on The Shack If youâve read The Shack, you probably remember where you were when you finished it. William Paul Youngâs novel has a way of finding the rawest place in a person and sitting there quietly until something gives way. The story follows Mack. After a tragedy, he receives a mysterious⌠Read more: What the book, The Shack, Got Right About God and Grief - Essential Warnings from the Two Inner VoicesWarnings. This portion in Proverbs has two. Proverbs 2:12â19 Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,    from men whose words are perverse, who have left the straight paths    to walk in dark ways, who delight in doing wrong    and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, whose paths are crooked    and who are devious in their ways. Wisdom will⌠Read more: Essential Warnings from the Two Inner Voices
