by Robert C. Veil, Jr.
Life is full of expectations! With some of these we anticipate joyous and pleasant upcoming
events. Others expectations are unpleasant or even dreaded. When I was a child, I anticipated
Christmas morning with great excitement, but my expectations for upcoming dentist and doctor
appointments were anything but joyous. Some in our congregation are currently anticipating happy
occasions like an upcoming graduation, the birth of a new child, a marriage or other positive
change of life. Still, others are dealing with the expectation of surgery, physical pain, or other
challenges associated with growing older.
As we wrap up another calendar year, it may be wise to take a look back at the expectations
we had about this time last year. Were they realistic? Have they come to pass? What if any are our
expectations for the holidays and the new year ahead? Can we learn anything from mistakes we
made in setting expectations for the current year?
Our expectations need to be realistic. They need to be reasonable and well-grounded, not
overly optimistic, nor pessimistic. The Scriptures provide some principles which may be helpful
to each of us in forming helpful and realistic expectations for the future.
For one thing, we need the flexibility to recognize the uncertainty of life itself. It is a mistake
to naïvely assume that we will be busily passing the days of the new year just as we have those of
the current year. “Come now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into this city, and spend
a year there, and trade, and get gain: whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. What is
your life? For ye are a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye
ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall both live, and do this or that,” (James 4:14-15). Our very
existence depends upon the mercy of God, and whether we live to see the new year is entirely in
the hands of God. It is wise to remember this before setting our expectations too firmly.
Another important requirement in forming realistic expectations for the future is patience.
Using a farming illustration, James admonished,“Be patient therefore, brethren, until the coming
of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over
it, until it receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; establish your hearts,” (James 5:7
8). Farmers who are successful over the long run have to develop patience. They have to temper
their expectations with a realistic recognition that conditions do not always remain optimum. There
will be challenging and difficult times ahead, and it takes time to achieve anything worthwhile.
Remember, it is much easier to sit in a meeting and plan a hundred great ideas for the new year,
than it is to patiently implement them in our lives.
In order to form realistic expectations, each of us needs a good, healthy dose of reality. The
apostle Paul stated it this way: “For I say, through the grace that was given me, to every man that
is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but so to think as to think
soberly, according as God hath dealt to each man a measure of faith,” (Romans 12:3). It is
interesting that Paul gave that admonition just after he had reminded his readers of the need to
“transform themselves” by the “renewing” of their minds. As we envision the spiritual
improvement we will undergo through the power of God’s word, it is important also to be realistic,
fact-driven, or, as Paul said, sober. Many new Christians have become discouraged when they did
not advance spiritually as quickly or thoroughly as they had anticipated. Again, our plans for future
attainments need to be tempered with reasonableness and reality.
As we conclude another year, let’s take the time to give thanks for the many blessings and
accomplishments we have witnessed this year. It has truly been a busy and productive year for the
congregation here at Central. As we look forward, let’s try to be realistic, and Christ-centered. Let’s
be flexible, patient and realistic. Remember that the Lord is able to do abundantly above all that
we ask, or think, but He still expects us to be realistic. As a seasoned Bible teacher, Leonard
Johnson, used to tell his class at Freed-Hardeman, always hope for the best, and prepare for the
worst.
