Unrealistic Expectations
What is the difference between hope and expectation?
Verse of the Day
“The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.”
Today’s Devotional
Hope versus expectation. Have you ever considered the difference? I am going to assume here that I fall into both categories of “the righteous” and “the wicked” and instead look at the actions of the “who”. Because without Jesus I am wicked. With Jesus I am righteous.
Expectations are not inherently wrong. If I go to work at my job, I expect to get paid. When I do not get paid, I get frustrated. In my opinion, there is a big difference between realistic and unrealistic expectations.
This world is full of unrealistic expectations, which tend to lead to frustration and/or anger. It is very unrealistic to think that if I eat healthy for one day that I will be at my goal weight the next morning. Many people expect to be treated with respect when they are not respectful to others. Some people expect that after earning a college degree they will land their dream job (and salary) without having to do the years of career building.
The following of are a few of the “gems” I have written down about expectations.
-Expectations are resentments under construction.
-I don’t know what my expectations are until they aren’t met.
-I might be powerless over my emotions, but I am not powerless over my expectations that lead to hard emotions.
-The keys to finding happiness are to lower my expectations and lessen my demands.
The difference between expectations and hope is, in my opinion, a matter of humility and effort. In many cases, we expect huge returns for very little effort. That’s not realistic. Hope is the confident expectation of God’s goodness. If I am praying about something, wrestling with God even, I can have hope that whatever happens is God’s will. Am I humble enough before God to accept his answers even when they are not what I would choose? Is it possible that I don’t always know what is best for me?
If I can confidently expect God to be God, then I have hope that things in my life will turn out as God ordains. But I have to stay close to him to be able to trust his work on his timing. I have to keep praying about something until God moves. Are my expectations of God and his timing unrealistic?
Ultimately, I have a choice. I can expect and demand things from people and God, and be consistently disappointed. Or I can hope that God is working and moving, for his glory and in my best interests. I must learn to pray, listen and act. In doing that consistently, I will be hopeful in God’s will and plan for my life. There is little better to spark joy than to know you are within the will of God.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
What are some areas in your life where you are consistently frustrated?
- Examine whether or not you may have some unrealistic expectations in those situations.
- Ask God to reveal to you where your expectations are out of line with truth and reality.
Do you believe that God is good?
Do you believe that he is working in your best interests?
Do you find joy in the thought of being completely submitted to God?