Expectation vs Reality

I think most people have the following expectations regarding their lives. They are usually unstated, that would be arrogant and foolish, but they are definitely there. They believe that,

• They and their loved ones will be healthy and happy throughout their lives. Everyone they know will live to a ripe old age then pass peacefully.

• No calamities will happen to them. They may struggle at times but nothing too big will have to be overcome; at least nothing they can’t handle.

• Grave, devastating illnesses and diseases happen to other people, not them.

• Accidents and financial crises, truly life-altering experiences that are beyond their control, happen to other people.

• Their kids will grow up to be good, well-adjusted, productive people and we, as parents, will always have a good relationship with them.

• Their marriages will be happy, and fulfilling and will be enjoyed until death do them part.

But reality is very different. We all know that none of the above are true, yet, if we are honest with ourselves, we live with the expectation that they will be. These kinds of thoughts are, potentially, quickened if we are Christians. Unfortunately, I think most Christians live with the expectation that God loves them (he does) and wants what’s best for them (he does) in a way that is defined by their own perspectives and not the perspectives of Scripture.

That’s where the trouble starts. We know that bad things happen. We know that they will, eventually, happen to us. Yet we often do not understand properly and thus do not prepare ourselves well for the fallen and finite world within which we live and which will come for us eventually.

So we must be prepared. “Think about your own faith. Has it really only been shaped by teaching, preaching, and personal Bible study? Or is there a gap between what you profess to believe and what you actually believe when the rubber meets the road?” (How People Change, CH 7) In other words, is your view of the world and your place in it defined by Scripture and sound biblical theology which places God and his purposes at the center of everything? Or is it defined by the culture of express individualism which places you, your perceived identity and personal happiness at the center of everything? Remember, “our experiences become more difficult when we carry unbiblical, and therefore unrealistic, expectations into them (How People Change, CH 8)

The solution is obvious. We need our view of the world in which we live to be defined by Scripture and not our culture. In Scripture we find a God who knows how bad things can be for us in this finite and fallen world and he promises to give us everything to deal with it.

It is incredibly encouraging to realize that the Bible addresses the world as we know it. God makes it very clear that he understands the heat we face everyday. It isn't always pleasant to read the honest stories of scripture, but it is comforting. We realize that we will never face an experience, no matter how dark or difficult, that would be a shock to God. The hope and help God offers his children reflect his knowledge of the full range of human experience. (How People Change, CH 7)

God is our “refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Because of that we do not need to fear the earth giving way or the mountains moving into the sea or the waters rising up against us. Know him well. Know the world in relation to him. Know yourself in proper relation to the world and to God. Then be still and know that he is God and you have nothing to fear. (cf Psalm 46)

Soli Deo Gloria