My good friend Brian Golter is a successful “Head Hunter” who has just published his first book, “Your Right Job Right Now.” While it is a secular book, if you are in the market for a new job, the book offers some challenging insights for self-examination.
As Brian worked through his own 'death' to self-defeating attitudes and behaviors, he asked himself this question: “How would my world be different if I woke up every day thinking that this was going to be the best day of my life? "
Well, putting it in my "dying to live" language, I might ask: "How would my world be different today if I had faith that expected God to do "exceeedingly abundantly beyond what I could ask or think?" (Eph. 3:20) or "How would my world be different if I expected God would keep me from stumbling and make me blameless?" (Jude 24)
I think people are afraid to expect too much. After all, that kind of faith is risky! Maybe we tell ourselves it’s safer not to expect anything; then we can’t be disappointed! But Jesus' disciples are not characterized by such fear!
Paul’s words reveal him to be a man of great expectation: “For I live in eager EXPECTATION and hope that I will never do anything that causes me shame, but that I will always be bold for Christ” (Philippians 1:20).
This word “EXPECT” is made from these three words: from + head + expect, meaning “earnest expectation or looking for, as with the neck stretched out, and the head thrust forward.” I think Paul is saying that when you walk in expectation, you may be “sticking your neck out,” that is, "taking a risk."
Are you afraid to expect God will provide what you need? Are you willing to “stick your neck out”—believing He will? (NOTE: what He provides may not be what you were "expecting" but you can "expect" God to give you exactly what you need!! That's faith!)
Greg,
ReplyDeleteOn an Easter morning three years ago I started a series of conversations with God during my devotions that started to transform my entire expectation level. Included in those moments was an insight into the purpose of the Resurrection that had never quite occured to me.
While the message of Christ's prayer for unity in John 17 was not a new concept I had never seen the Resurrection as the beginning of the Father's answer to that prayer. (I can share the details with you via email)
The point of my sharing this with you is that from that Easter morning to the present, whenever God and I meet for fellowship I have learned to expect to receive some revelation of Himself or His purposes or His feelings or His thoughts and opinions about a particular subject. Before, I had usually little or no expectation and approached devotional time with a sense of obedient commitment, enduring the time. But God seemd to make it worthwhile anyhow. Now I can hardly wait to enter into our conversations--even if He has to confront me with coming up short in some area of my life. It's now a matter of trust in Him that has replaced a dutiful deference.
Thanks for your insight, Greg!
Stan