I have ready many books concerning expectation. I have also listened to many sermons on Faith's expectation. However, if expectation is not understood and kept in balance, people will become frustrated, and often forfeit their faith. Once faith is surrendered, flesh (ego) takes over, giving anger a seat and deferring hope. I might also add that if one gives a place to the flesh ego, it will rob them of their faith.
Am I against expectation, or faith expectation?
No, absolutely not.
I live my life within this vein, but there is a liberating balance.
Proverbs 13:12
Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.
What exactly does this mean?
Hope (expectation), that has been delayed (not came as you thought it should, when it should), is unhealthy. Yet, when the thing that you long for does come it is exciting and ignites you.
The thing about this text if studied out, we find that "hope"(expectation) that does not come when you want it to, as you want it to, makes the heart (intellect, will, feelings emotions) sick.
Your soul becomes imbalanced, and within that imbalance is mental anguish. Then comes emotional instability, broken will, physically illness and at times faith dismissed. This is not God's will for your life.
God's will for your life is Good.
Every good and perfect gift comes down form the Father of lights. In Him there is no shadow of turning. God wants you to delight in Him (truth, light and the life of love). God wants you to make room for the fulfillment of your heart's desires.
God's plan for you is a good plan, with a bright future. It is for you to prosper and be in health even AS your SOUL (mind, will, emotions) prospers.
So, what is one to do?
How can you walk in faith expectantly, and yet stay balanced?
The answer is to walk in the Spirit; to keep your flesh under; to live a life of Wisdom and good understanding; to staying open to the fresh winds (ideas, aide, people ...) that God brings your way.
Several Bible text speak to us about walking in the Spirit and not fulfilling the lust of the flesh.
Romans 8:1
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Romans 8:4
That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Galatians 5:16
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Galatians 5:25
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
If we would learn to flow with (in) the Spirit of God, that has been made available to us through the person of Jesus Christ, then we would be settled in the center of the will of God, and living out our purpose.
Jesus said when speaking of this wonderful born again (transformed) life in the Spirit:
The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
When one is living in the Spirit, they have sided with God.
- They learn to live every moment in the present.
- They have vision for tomorrow.
- They do not live in the realm of their past defeats or victories.
- They flow freely in the now.
This breed of people have great expectations, but they live so connect to the spirit, that they disconnect from the ego with it's flesh lust. Their expectations are in the realm of a balanced faith. They do not put dates, times and "must be this way's" on their programs. They have an agenda, but they are ready to flex (not compromise), but flex with the winds of the Spirit.
There is a difference in flexing and compromising. To compromise you disembark your morals and values.
To flex you are able to move within the realm of your morals and values.
You are open to change.
After all you are either being transformed daily or your not, and to be transformed daily is to live in the realm of change, not compromise.
Expectations are often a large part of transformation. It is part of the stirring up process (an agent to encouraging yourself toward your good future). But if your Expectations are out of balance, and if your faith is misguided, it can be a disastrous end.
Let me share a little story with you in which both expectation (unnecessarily was deferred and faith misguided).
The Big Flood
It had been raining for days and days, and a terrible flood had come over the land. The waters rose so high that one man was forced to climb onto the roof of his house.
As the waters rose higher and higher, a man in a rowboat appeared, and told him to get in. "No," replied the man on the roof. "I have faith in the Lord; the Lord will save me." So the man in the rowboat went away. The man on the roof prayed for God to save him.
The waters rose higher and higher, and suddenly a speedboat appeared. "Climb in!" shouted a man in the boat. "No," replied the man on the roof. "I have faith in the Lord; the Lord will save me." So the man in the speedboat went away. The man on the roof prayed for God to save him.
The waters continued to rise. A helicopter appeared and over the loudspeaker, the pilot announced he would lower a rope to the man on the roof. "No," replied the man on the roof. "I have faith in the Lord; the Lord will save me." So the helicopter went away. The man on the roof prayed for God to save him.
The waters rose higher and higher, and eventually they rose so high that the man on the roof was washed away, and alas, the poor man drowned.
Upon arriving in heaven, the man marched straight over to God. "Heavenly Father," he said, "I had faith in you, I prayed to you to save me, and yet you did nothing. Why?" God gave him a puzzled look, and replied "I sent you two boats and a helicopter, what more did you expect?"
This man appeared to have expectation (large faith expectation). However, his hope was deferred because he had no idea how to live in the realm of faith's expectation. Nor, had he learned to flow with the winds of the Spirit.
The winds of the Spirit had brought opportunity. Opportunity that the man passed up not once, or twice but three times. Thus, his hope was deferred, deferred, deferred, and it left this man in a death sentence.
God will offer us daily opportunities. He willingly chooses to give us heart desires as we 'delight' in Him ... not fight Him. We must learn how to leave ego far behind and flow with the winds of the Spirit.
God has a great plan for each of us. That plan will rise within us. And when it does, all of God's (already) supplied resources will show up. However, we must be willingly to get in the boat and board the chopper (to do our part, so to speak), so we can get to the other side.
Don't misplace your faith today by trying to be super spiritual. The Proverbs tell us that Wisdom is the principle thing ... and with all our getting of wisdom to get understanding.
Spirituality is not refusal to use intellect. It is intellect supercharged!
Richard Bach said,
"In order to win, you must expect to win."
And I will tag those words of wisdom with this:
To win, you must make wise choices in life, and move like the wind.
"In order to win, you must expect to win."
And I will tag those words of wisdom with this:
To win, you must make wise choices in life, and move like the wind.
