From Expectations to Expectant
We’ve all been there: A long-awaited family vacation, a special event, an important milestone birthday…a highly anticipated celebration. And then, out of the blue, something totally unexpected happens and ruins everything (at least from our human perspective). Can you think of the last time a special occasion or holiday season let you down? Our human expectations are prone to disappointment. We get our hearts wrapped around things we think we need or circumstances we desire, and when those things (or expectations) don’t satisfy as we hope, we’re left deflated and sometimes even jaded, numb, or unengaged.
Many of us lack the eager anticipation we once knew in our youth when it comes to Christmastime.
Ask yourself: Does the first sign of Christmas decor stir your heart up with giddiness, or does the mere sight of pre-lit Christmas trees and gift wrap cause you anxiety? The ambiance set by merchandisers is meant to ignite our excitement and preparation for a festive season, but for so many of us, the joyous expectancy of a fun-filled holiday is overshadowed by unrealistic expectations and impossible standards. We replace expectancy with expectations. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ, but the Israelites, who anticipated the promise of a Messiah, waited hundreds of years for this promise to be fulfilled. Along the way, God revealed His purposes and plans little by little, and sometimes the people waited eagerly, and other times, impatiently. Do you remember when the Israelites crafted a golden calf because they grew impatient and took matters into their own hands?
How one waits affects how he or she follows God’s lead or doesn’t. Did you know your heart posture, which can be hidden, affects so much that is evident in your everyday life?
The stories we tell ourselves about any season—especially the Christmas season—shape how we feel and act in response. If you expect Christmastime to make you feel good about your family relationships, you will be disappointed. If you expect your spouse to read your mind about what makes a holiday season special, you will be disappointed. If you expect gifts from others to make you feel loved and remembered, you will be disappointed. You see, what we believe we are waiting for in this season affects our posture, and that, in turn, determines the difference between whether we are overjoyed or overwhelmed.
The Psalms are such beautiful reflections of the psalmist’s heart posture in various seasons and circumstances. In Psalm 130, we see the psalmist sing a song of hope—from a place of distress and need, he declares what is true about God’s forgiveness, faithfulness, and steadfast love. The psalmist acknowledges that he has an audience with God because God graciously forgives (verse 3). He knows he’s been given more than he deserves, and he now waits for his loving God to faithfully provide again. He doesn’t question whether God hears his need. Rather, he is expectant, knowing that God keeps His promises. It’s this very confidence and expectancy in a good and faithful God that led Corrie ten Boom to anticipate the same of her heavenly Father. When Jesus takes your hand, He keeps you tight. When Jesus keeps you tight, He leads you through your whole life. When Jesus leads you through your whole life, He brings you safely home. Christmas is a homecoming—one where the broken of humanity are given access to the home they were meant for in Christ. Our only means of coming home to Jesus is to welcome and prepare Him room right where we are.
When we turn from expectations to being expectant, we will never be disappointed because God never disappoints.
Expectations leave us weary and discontent, believing we deserve more or better. They always leave us unfulfilled and doubtful about whether God is for our good. But expectancy is anticipation mingled with joy. It’s believing God is who He says He is while waiting patiently for His good to be revealed, however He chooses to reveal it. Expectancy remembers what is already more than one deserves; expectation demands more. When we come to the Christmas season with an expectant posture, we’re led in hope—like the wise men led by the star. Expectancy sets our sights on God’s promises rather than the empty pursuit of all that cannot truly satisfy in this season. When we turn from expectations to being expectant, we will never be disappointed because God never disappoints. What He promises, He will do.
Ponder
Are you more consumed with expectations in this season, or with anticipation for how God has fulfilled—and will continue to fulfill—His promises?
Pray
Dear Father, we praise You for all You have done and have yet to do. Help us to long for You alone rather than the expectations and desires that do not satisfy. Realign our hearts according to Your Word, that we might have a heart posture ready to receive Your provisions. And when we’re tempted to bend toward our earthly desires and ways of thinking, teach us to recount Your faithfulness and remember that You are God. While we wait for Your purpose to be revealed, while we look to Your Word, soften our hearts to trust in You instead of ourselves. Amen.
Taken from Emmanuel by Ruth Chou Simons Copyright © 2022 Ruth Chou Simons. Published by Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, Oregon 97408. www.harvesthousepublishers.com.
is a Wall Street Journal bestselling and award-winning author of several books, including her most recent Emmanuel: An Invitation to Prepare Him Room at Christmas and Always. She is an artist, founder of GraceLaced and speaker, using each of these platforms to spiritually sow the word of God into people’s hearts. Through her online shoppe at GraceLaced.com and her social media community, Simons shares her journey of God’s grace intersecting daily life with word and art. Ruth and her husband, Troy, are grateful parents to six boys—their greatest adventure.
