Expectations

EXPECTATIONS
Philippians 1:12-21
Vs. 20: “…(I) will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.”

St. Paul was in prison when he wrote this, and his prospects were grim. The emperor, Nero, could kill him any time. So, what was Paul’s expectation? He thought that his suffering helped further the Gospel of Christ. (Vs. 12). During his imprisonment, jealous people preached in his absence out of envy and strife (Vs. 15). Instead of encouraging their confined brother, they were trying to take his place in the people’s hearts.

Paul’s response? Vs. 18 says, “Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.” How can anyone rejoice in this dreadful circumstance?

We too, have expectations. We expect that the sun will rise tomorrow. We expect that our friends will stand behind us in support, that loved ones will always be on our side. We expect that when we are sick, a doctor will get us well. What happens when life does not live up to these expectations?

Paul shows us the way to remain positive when everything around us looks negative. Despite his high expectations in people, where he preached, and the future being shattered in his face, Paul showed us how to live with great expectations—how to live joyfully amid desperate circumstances.

Here are three questions for you to ask yourself when life throws you a curve ball that seems impossible to hit successfully:

Is anything in my current situation threatening my salvation? No. There is nothing that can take away my salvation.

Do I still have the privilege to pray with confidence at God’s throne with cries of “Abba—Help!” Yes. Jesus welcomes us with open arms—giving us refuge.

Do I understand the difference between living in faith and living by sight? Maybe. Not sure. What does living in faith mean?

During difficult times, when we “see” that our circumstances are not as we expected, we have an Ace hidden up our sleeve. It may be time to pull out that Ace card and throw down.

The Ace is Jesus, and He trumps every kind of problem. Others may not “see” our Ace, but we know His power. When we pray to God crying out for His help, He immediately comes to our aid in all power and might.

This confidence gives us the positive, joyful outlook we see in Paul. We know God is working on our behalf, and we can be sure of a good outcome. Our expectations are secured by our faith in God.

This is living by faith and not by sight.

Take Home Nugget

Adopting Paul’s expectation—for Christ to be honored no matter what—the Ace in our pocket will defeat all trouble. With Christ at our back, we’ll emerge victorious!

J.D. Griffith

In all I think and say and do,
I long, O God, to honor You;
But may my highest motive be
To love the Christ who died for me.

D. De Haan

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