Isn't disappointment one of the most awful feelings to have? We anticipate an event to occur and it doesn't or a person’s response differs from our expectations. Man, that just tends to have an adverse effect on my disposition. (I tend to get ticked off!) I can feel anything from mild irritation to deeply depressed, all because things didn't pan out as I thought they would, or even worse as I thought they should. What if our level of expectation changed? What if we decided not to have any expectations at all? What a foreign concept!
Recently the Lord dealt with me about how much I let my expectations of people and situations steal my joy and at times seriously disturb my walk with Him. He promptly told me how I need to let go of the constraints I have put on so many relationships in my life simply through the expectations I created. This causes a cycle of discontent and disobedience. Not to mention how it can cause one to become a downright unpleasant person to be around. You know what I mean. Don’t we love those who “go with the flow” and avoid the people who live by the “my way or the highway” mantra?
“Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. 2 And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried , whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; 3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. 4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said , Look on us. 5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. 6 Then Peter said , Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk . 7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up : and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength . 8 And he leaping up stood , and walked , and entered with them into the temple, walking , and leaping , and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God” Acts 3:1-9
Notice how the lame man in verse 5 paid attention to Peter and John because he expected to receive something. He didn’t receive the monetary gift he expected to get from them. Doesn’t it make you wonder in that moment in verse 6 when Peter said he didn’t have any money to give, if the man was disappointed? But instead he received something way better than what he expected …healing! Sometimes expectation clouds our ability to appreciate what the reality turns out to be. Now I’m not saying that there aren’t times when what you get is certainly worthy of disappointment. Life is a difficult journey with bumps along the way. But if our attitude is sculpted by the events that surround us, we cannot allow God to speak. When I desire my husband to respond to me in a particular way and he doesn’t, for whatever reason, I have the choice to accept that graciously, forgiving immediately, or to choose to be resentful. This can give way to various other emotions and actions that displease or disobey God. Many times what we want for ourselves is not what is best for us. And we may miss it altogether if we are busy focusing on what we didn’t get. God always has our best in mind! According to Jeremiah 29:11 He tells us he has plans to prosper us and not harm us. And as the lame man learned quickly, God did have a better plan than what he was expecting. So for me, I choose to say each time I feel that twinge of letdown, “I will have no expectations, Lord, except that Your will be done!”
