Have you ever been surprised by something that was beyond your expectations? Sometimes that can be good, but it usually catches us off guard and takes us off track.

Expectations. They can be a real problem if we aren’t careful.

Richard Blackaby recently wrote about the “perils of faulty expectations.” When these potholes on the highway of life appear, they can be quite jolting—unless we are prepared and aware that they are there.

It becomes even more challenging when our expectations are spiritual, when we expect God to work a certain way, and it doesn’t happen. It is a time for us to look at God’s nature, His character, and not just His acts.

I recently had a wonderful friend die. She had suffered for two years, and I know many had prayed for her to be healed. It didn’t happen the way we expected. Others have been healed, sometimes in miraculous ways. Why not now? Why not my friend? Expectations.

It must have been difficult for Jesus’ early followers to watch Him heal some people while others still suffered and died. Expectations.

Jesus often needed to tell His disciples and followers that He did not always act the same way when faced with a challenge. He also frequently explained that His actions were for God’s glory and purpose. We tend to view our world and lives through the lens of our expectations. If we serve the Lord, we believe God will make us successful in ministry and that we won’t suffer. Expectations. It doesn’t always happen the way we expect.

Remember, the Apostle Paul petitioned the Lord three times to remove his “thorn in the flesh.” It didn’t happen. Paul had to adopt the same mind that Christ had and view things from an eternal perspective. We need to do the same.

As Richard Blackaby reminds us, we need to “lean into” our relationship with Jesus and not just rely on our human expectations. Each time Paul talked to God about what he anticipated, the Lord reminded him of a higher truth.

My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.

2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT

Can you surrender your expectations to God? Can you start to view your circumstances through the lens of eternity?

Paul would say, “Follow my example as I follow Christ. Learn from my experience that God’s grace carries us through a world of unfulfilled expectations to a life of purpose and glory as we lean into the person of Jesus, a loving and gracious Lord.”

God is faithful. And that’s an expectation you can hold onto today.

God’s best,