Expectations…

Okay, if we are honest, isn’t Christmas all about expectations?

The list of expectations is endless. We have expectations of ourselves as well as others. There are expectations of what the tree should look like, how tall it should be, what type of ornaments and lights should be on it…and what goes at the top. There are expectations of the music which should be played…and how often it should be played. There are expectations of family, loved ones and friends. We have expectations of our church, the church and those in the church. And of course we have expectations of God.

Is it wrong to have expectations? No, not necessarily. When we have expectations, we have hope and isn’t Christmas all about hope. The truth is our expectation…our hope, should be in Christ. When our expectations are in others, we will be let down. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow…but one day others will let us down. When our expectations are in ourselves and our own abilities…once again there will come a point when we will let ourselves down. We won’t meet up to our own standard. It’s these unmet expectations which are used to steal our joy and kill our spirit. We have a sin nature and we live in a fallen world…but the story doesn’t end here.

Christmas is all about God sending Jesus to set us free from unmet expectations. (I will share my thoughts about the Great Rescue later) I am not saying that God is going to meet all of our expectations any more that I am saying others are going to meet all of our expectations. At the core, many if not most of our expectations are selfish. God sent Jesus to exceed our expectations by giving us a new life, one that is abundant and free!

Accept that gift and expect a life that is abundant and free. Believe, receive and live free! Expect God to change your life…my life. Lay our expectations down before Him and be forever changed.

Merry Christmas!