The Power of Expectations
My wife and I stayed at a resort where we expected a room with a view but were instead assigned the worst room in the entire place, right in front of the maintenance garage and parking lot. I was disappointed. So I thought about why.
It came down to my expectations. If I had simply gone there for business or a conference, I wouldn’t have cared because my expectations would not have included a nice view. But I was there on vacation—and I would pray, read, think, relax, and eat most of my meals on the deck or patio outside the room.
A staff member came by and immediately got me into one of the best rooms in the place. It felt like going from a pit up to heaven, or something like that. I was so grateful. Expectation and response.
What do you expect in life? Or in a given situation?
Our expectations have everything to do with our satisfaction, happiness, and even mental health. If I don’t expect much regarding something, and things go well, I’ll be happy. High expectations automatically raise the potential of disappointment.
After a horrific bus crash carrying kids home from a Christian summer camp, some survivors abandoned their faith or went through endless anxiety and depression; others worked through the horror, got themselves back together, maintained their faith, and lived out their lives.
Counselors and therapists found that the most distinguishing factor was the survivors’ expectations of God and of life prior to the accident. Those who in their childhood innocence expected life to always be good and God to never let anything bad happen to them were in a bad state. Those who expected that God would allow bad things to happen but would carry them through and grow them—these people categorically recovered surprisingly well.
Our expectations, as simple as they may be, have a huge impact on how we respond to anything.
Beware of the misleading idea that having faith in God means everything will go well. It won’t; we’re not in heaven yet. Faith is trusting that God will be with us to sustain us and overcome everything we go through.
Think about your expectations, however general or specific. How aligned are they with reality? And with God’s Word? What are the results?
