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"When we have expectations for God to provide and we define exactly what that provision is to look like we have now put God into a place of submitting to our desires and He simply won’t stay in that place for long."
As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 93.
Expectations are the killer of faith. The sooner we get this fact into our daily lives the sooner we can root out the influences of victim thinking.
You see, faith isn't the problem when it comes to victim thinking. There is nothing wrong at all about believing that good things will be a part of the victor's life we are called to lead. Today's reading is clear on the subject.
Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. Deuteronomy 15:10 (NIV)
Here's a command with a promise. Give generously and EVERYTHING you put your hand to will be blessed. Wow - isn't that one grand promise? I want that in my life, don't you? Let me ask you this question. How blessed are you feeling if you equate blessing with your job going one hundred percent the way you want it to right at this moment. If you are like the vast majority of us with troubles at work blessing isn't something that comes immediately to mind.
That's the problem with our expectation when it comes to faith filled proclamations from the Bible. Today's reading is completely true whether your work is going well for you or not. You are blessed! It is when we tie the hands of God with our expectation of what this verse is suppose to mean in our lives that faith goes out the window.
It is so easy to read this verse in ways that make us believe that if we give generously then our work will be a piece of cake. I'm learning that the Bible is so much more deep than just what the printed words appear to be saying. Based on the fact that my generous giving has not always lead to my work life being a breeze, I now read this verse in a different way.
I now read this verse as saying God will bless me if I give generously. I can confidently say this is one hundred percent correct in my life if I let God be in control of what that blessing looks like. I'm starting to realize that God's blessing isn't always associated with the good things I want in life. God's blessing is His presence. I can choose to recognize that blessing in the good times of my work going well and the bad times when all hell is breaking out at work. The blessing isn't getting my way in my work world. The blessing is that God chooses to dwell with me in the good times and in the bad as well.
Viewing blessing in the light of God's presence makes expectation to be something that has so much less of a negative impact on my faith life. It is when I define for God what His blessing is suppose to look like that faith becomes such a difficult proposition for me. God's reality and my expectation don't always match up when it comes to my circumstances.
His presence is always assured! My expectation of what blessing is when blessing is tied to getting something good in my life isn't always assured. If I view blessing in light of God's presence, I'm so much less likely to let the badness that comes against me from time to time to drive me to victim thinking. Allowing my expectations be what proves whether God is fulfilling His promises to me makes me doubt who I am in God's eyes and who God is in my life. Expectation is the killer of faith and I need faith to believe that I am the victor God has made me to be, especially when times are difficult in my life.
What are you expecting from God today? Are you going to use formula driven interpretations of God's word to fuel your expectations? Do you have a view of blessing that requires God to perform for you? That's not what faith is all about. Expectations and faith have a hard time occupying the same space in our lives. Isn't it time to let God bless you fully today? Let that blessing be the realization of His presence. Your victor status requires a lot of faith. Expectation kills that faith and makes it so easy to believe that you will always be a victim of this world and of God Himself. Have faith in what God says about you. You are His Child and that alone makes you the victor you have been called to be.
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