What do you Expect?

I’ve been taught that “for every action there is a reaction”, and similarly that there is a “cause and effect” principle to be considered. There is no getting around it. I see these play out in my life every day. If I drink too much caffeine it takes me longer to go to sleep. If I read headline news, I get upset, and so it goes. Ha!

As I continued my study of James this morning, once again I received practical advice …

"Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.  Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing pat the door.  As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful." -James

Just like the farmer, we all have expectations. We look forward to something, whether big or small.

I recently heard a prayer lifted up on behalf of church youth who are graduating from high school. As a parent of three, I know what a big event this is. Will our children charge forward, implementing all the good teaching they’ve received? Or will they fall into a time of barely treading water? Or worse?

The prayer was enlightening to me. I cannot remember the details, but what stood out to me was that the expectation of the person giving the prayer was that the group was going to sink. He didn’t seem to have a lot of confidence in the their spiritual success, but rather focused on “when you fail”.

I’ve always considered myself to be a fairly positive person, but I think his prayer convicted me because I have the same thoughts. I’m so disheartened by today’s culture that what choice do our young adults have, but to fail? However, to hear such low expectations verbalized over them hurt my heart. It hurt me in two ways. First, these young people, who are on the threshold of independent life, are hearing the lack of confidence we have in them, and second, it revealed my own lack of faith.

I know that every person in that group has received solid Biblical teaching. They have been equipped to be a light in the darkness, to speak life into despair. They know who they are and who holds their lives safely in His hands. It is a fact that they are “more than conquerors” according to Paul in Romans 8.

So what advice do we give the young, the old and everyone in between? James, speaking to believers living in an even more dire culture than ours, says to look for the Lord’s coming patiently, and while you watch, establish your hearts, don’t grumble and remain steadfast.

Each of those points are a deep well in the life of anyone who desires to abide in Christ; a well that overflows with life-giving water. How shameful it is to live a life of treading water, hoping to get by until the Lord comes. I am convicted and reject this state of mind.

"For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace...  You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you." -Paul

If I focus on the state of the world, the hostility towards the things of God, the twisted lies that have stolen hope from so many, instead of allowing the hope of Christ to fill my mind, I’m living a less than joyful life. It is my desire to remain steadfast, and to continue to allow God to establish my heart deeper in Himself.