Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
‘Expectation’ is an assumption, presumption or presupposition that something will happen. It is a strong belief about an outcome or a result. However when expectation turns into disappointment, it triggers anger. Anger is an emotional response to an unfulfilled expectation. We expect a certain response from a family member or a friend and when they disappoint us, our immediate response is anger. Frustration builds anger overtime. Repeated disappointments, suppressed frustrations, cynical responses, outburst of anger are different stages of expressions of unmet expectations. Helplessness to change the unmet needs turns the anger inward, which results in ‘depression’. Dr. Mary C. Lambia, psychologist says, “An attack-self coping response to shame is prominent in depression”.
Just as we have expectations on people, we have expectations on God as well. We expect Him to respond to all our prayers through signs, wonders and miracles. We expect him to punish our offenders as soon as they hurt us and as soon as we shed some tears at His feet. We expect our family to be perfect and our children to be flawless. We expect the healing to happen at a certain time in a certain way. But when God does not meet our expectation the disappointment turns into anger against God. However, we must understand that God has some expectations too. The Lord God expects us to be simple, straightforward and sympathetic.
God’s expectation on His children:
1. Mediate: God expects His children to mediate not manipulate. He expects us to ‘love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us’ (Matthew 5:44). He does not expect us to call fire down from heaven on them. God expects us to offer the same justice that we want for ourselves, for everyone. Do unto others as you would like them to do to you (Luke 6:31). He expects us to mediate for the sinner and not masticate.
2. Mercy: God expects us to be merciful and not malevolent. He wants us to apply the same rules that we judge ourselves, to criticize others. He wants us to be merciful, mellowed and meek. After narrating the parable of the ‘Good Samaritan’ Jesus told the crowd and the expert of law who questioned Him, “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:37b).
3. Meekness: God expects us to be meek, not mean. Meekness is strength under control. It does not mean to be a doormat but to be docile. This simply means not to misuse authority or opportunity to dominate or to be opinionated but to be humble, open and transparent. It means to use our influence to construct and not to damage.
Before we get upset with God it is important to understand the basics of God’s expectations on humanity. Be just, merciful and meek.
1 Corinthians 13:2 Love one another deeply. Honor others more than yourselves
Prayer: Father in Heaven, teach me to live a life that meets your expectations and delight your heart. Help me to understand that when I do so, none of my desires will remain unmet. Amen.
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