Great Expectations
This weekend our family will be celebrating a marriage! It's been so fun to watch the bride- and groom-to-be walk through a courtship and a busy engagement season, and now the day is finally upon us. Ah, young love! At weddings, I'm always reminded of a different time and place when my husband and I were that young couple. It's been 29 years, but the memory is still vivid. The thing that stands out to me most is the complete peace and confidence I had in committing my life to someone, and yet how little I knew about what that life would entail. Of course no one knows, that's why marriage is the ultimate act of trust. We have great expectations, but complete uncertainty. We know how the other person makes us feel, we know their character (Lord willing), we know who we are when we are with that person. We may not know what kind of parent that person might be, how they will react to financial stress or serious health issues, or how they will change over the course of life. I heard once that when a woman marries a man she expects him to change and he doesn't, and when a man marries a woman he expects her to stay the same, and she doesn't.
One thing I've learned during my marriage, is to avoid very specific expectations. When I was younger, my expectations were not a hope with the understanding that it may not be, but an idealistic assumption that this is how it should be, so this is how it will be. These assumptions were based on my expertise/experience in absolutely nothing. But I was super-confident! So confident that I didn't verbalize any of them, because I also assumed that they were so plainly obvious that everyone else knew them as well. I soon found out to my surprise, that my husband did not see things the same way as I and sadly, he could not read my mind.
"For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children to God to be revealed...For in this hope we were saved...if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." Romans 8:19, 24a, 25
My over-confident expectations were misplaced in my youth, but the hope in the glory of God that the Bible speaks of, is one that we can rely on. It is a promise from God, which can absolutely be trusted. His church is His Bride, and she can "confidently and joyfully" look forward to her wedding day.
...Therefore since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory." Romans 5:1-2 NLT
In the Old Testament there was always a "bride price." Our bride price was paid when Jesus died on the cross. We have been bought! At such an incredible price, will the Lord not have his Bride?
"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." 1 Cor. 6:19-20
The price for our salvation has been paid - the promise is ours. When I think of the promises of God, this one most precious, I realize I should expect more from God and less from people. His love, His wisdom, the power of His Spirit, His protection, are all here for us. Right here! If only we will allow Him to be ours. I'm convinced that I don't ask Him for enough, and I don't expect enough, because I have difficulty getting past the fact that I don't deserve any of it. (#undeservedprivilege - That's a whole other post.) But if I will accept His offer of grace through Jesus, He will give me abundant life. I can take those lofty expectations of mine off of others, and put them at His feet. Think of the alleviated stress and frustration with this flawed world and its people, if we let go of those expectations! We may actually be able to love others better, and I have a feeling we will be more lovable to them.
One thing I've learned during my marriage, is to avoid very specific expectations. When I was younger, my expectations were not a hope with the understanding that it may not be, but an idealistic assumption that this is how it should be, so this is how it will be. These assumptions were based on my expertise/experience in absolutely nothing. But I was super-confident! So confident that I didn't verbalize any of them, because I also assumed that they were so plainly obvious that everyone else knew them as well. I soon found out to my surprise, that my husband did not see things the same way as I and sadly, he could not read my mind.
"For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children to God to be revealed...For in this hope we were saved...if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." Romans 8:19, 24a, 25
My over-confident expectations were misplaced in my youth, but the hope in the glory of God that the Bible speaks of, is one that we can rely on. It is a promise from God, which can absolutely be trusted. His church is His Bride, and she can "confidently and joyfully" look forward to her wedding day.
...Therefore since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory." Romans 5:1-2 NLT
In the Old Testament there was always a "bride price." Our bride price was paid when Jesus died on the cross. We have been bought! At such an incredible price, will the Lord not have his Bride?
"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." 1 Cor. 6:19-20
The price for our salvation has been paid - the promise is ours. When I think of the promises of God, this one most precious, I realize I should expect more from God and less from people. His love, His wisdom, the power of His Spirit, His protection, are all here for us. Right here! If only we will allow Him to be ours. I'm convinced that I don't ask Him for enough, and I don't expect enough, because I have difficulty getting past the fact that I don't deserve any of it. (#undeservedprivilege - That's a whole other post.) But if I will accept His offer of grace through Jesus, He will give me abundant life. I can take those lofty expectations of mine off of others, and put them at His feet. Think of the alleviated stress and frustration with this flawed world and its people, if we let go of those expectations! We may actually be able to love others better, and I have a feeling we will be more lovable to them.
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| Photo by photo-nic.co.uk nic on Unsplash |
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