The other week a couple from Medicine Hat won the lottery. These lucky people won more than $24 million.
When we hear such stories, weíre happy for them, but then quickly ask, ìWhat about me? Just once Iíd like to win that much!î
Perhaps what we need most is a revamping of our expectations. I like the story of man who went to the pet store in search of a singing parakeet. He was a bachelor and his house was rather quiet. The store-owner had just the bird for him, so the man bought it.
The next day the bachelor came home from work to a house full of music. He went to the cage to feed the bird and noticed for the first time that the parakeet had only one leg. He felt cheated. So he called the store and complained.
ìWhat do you want?î the store-owner responded, ìA bird who can sing or a bird who can dance?î
Itís a good question to ask when our experiences donít live up to what we expected.
So many people place their expectations in things that let them down. In the last while, weíve heard of several people who lost their lives taking the drug ecstasy. Each of those people took that drug because they had an expectation that somehow this drug would make their life better, but it didnít.
It makes more sense, in this world of disappointments, to place our expectations in the one who will meet and surpass all our expectations - God. Now, you may think, ìI tried God and He didnít do what I asked Him to do. He didnít meet my expectations.î
Itís not easy when God doesnít do what we want. And so, do we give up on God or do we have to adjust our understanding of Him? I think itís the latter. You see, when we come to God with an expectation we need to believe that He knows much more about this life than we do and what will really make our lives complete. God has that much interest in you.
You see, God is not interested in us because of what we have or want. He doesnít take an interest in you because of your intelligence or wallet or your good looks. But He is interested in us simply because He loves us despite who we are and what weíve done.
He loves us despite all our failures, poor decisions and bad choices. He cares about giving us a better future even when our own expectations of it may not be what is really the best for us in the end.
Remember, in this life, God is for you. The Bible says, ìGod will rejoice over you.î
He will meet your greatest, deepest, heart-felt expectations, the ones that really matter the most, in a way that outshines anything else you think would light up your life.
If you will trust that God knows what is best for you every time and will always do what is best for you, then the expectations you thought just had to be met will be left in the dust of something far better. You will have a satisfied heart.
This Faith Matters column was brought to you by Tri-Community Baptist Church in Beiseker.
