| The Ministry The Author The Book The Audio [ HOME ] |
|
|
WEEKLY ENCOURAGEMENT
Updated: Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Unfulfilled Expectations
We just finished a German ladies retreat at our church with Mina Oglesby. The Lord certainly did bless and many left with a closer relationship to the Lord than when they came. One of the topics Mina dealt with was that of expectations. She challenged us to stop and think about all the expectations we set on our husbands, children, friends, and church members.
About ten years ago the Lord really began to deal with me about the number of expectations I was setting on all those around me. I determined to drop them. Wow, was I in for a major shock! As the Lord began to reveal to me how much I was expecting from my family and friends, I was very surprised. It began to be clear why I often felt disappointed and frustrated. My expectations were frequently not being met.
You may ask, "Is it wrong to expect people to be kind, loving or considerate? Is it wrong to expect people to keep their word?" According to Scripture, people, especially born-again people, should be kind, loving, considerate, honest, forgiving and faithful. However, the truth is that people often are not what they are ought to be, because they have a sinful nature. We all fail at times to be what we should be.
Often, we go into a situation with a certain expectation based on our opinion of ourselves and our experience. Naaman is a good example of this. He was a mighty man of valor, a captain in the service of the king of Syria and accustomed to certain honor and respect. (2 Kings 5:1) However, he was also a leper. Through the testimony of his wife's maid, Naaman heard about Elisha, a prophet of God at the time. After some confusion and much effort, Naaman arrived at the door of the house of Elisha. Elisha did not come out himself, but rather sent a messenger and told Naaman to wash in the river Jordan seven times and he would be healed. Sounds easy enough, but Naaman had a problem. He expected something different.
Naaman was offended and angry and said, "I thought, he would surely come out to me and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them, and be clean?" So he turned and went away in a rage. 2 Kings 5:11-12
Because the prophet did not respond the way Naaman expected, he almost remained a leper and missed the wonderful blessing of healing. I wonder how many times you and I have missed a special blessing from the Lord because we became upset over unfulfilled expectations? People and situations did not go as we expected. Naaman was in great need and only an act of God could meet it. Is that not many times our situation? Only the Lord can meet the needs of our heart; only He has the power to bring about the job, mate, child, health, relationship, peace, or comfort that we need. Why then are we so foolish and look to other sinful, weak, limited beings just like ourselves to fulfill our needs and then are upset when they can not or will not?
There is not a single verse in Scripture that tell us to set our expectations in men. Psalm 62:5 does say, "My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectations is from him." "It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man." Psalm 118:8
The next time you feel disappointed, frustrated or angry at someone, stop and ask your self what the reason is. You may be surprised to find it is because an expectation you had set was not met. If so, perhaps it would have better to have taken the need to the Lord first, and then let Him meet the need however He saw fit. "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." 1 Peter 5:7
"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. " Philippians 4:6-7
|
- Sandy Hastings |
|
