Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Expectation Resuscitation


Have you ever done something and expected one thing, but then something else happened?  For the better?  For worse?  Did you then have to do the same exercise again?  What did that do to your expectation?  Did the results change again?  

Insanity is explained something like “Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”  This makes me wonder, as I sit in a place where I see people having the same schedule, format, and rituals for their day (Panera) if doing the same thing over and over and expecting the same results in tedium or monotony.  

I am finding out that I do not operate well in doing the same thing over and over again because I do expect the same results.  I am the type of guy that kind of experiences something a few times and then I want to try something new.  That can be an unhealthy trait, I know, but in some cases it has worked well for me.  You see, this trait causes me to explore a lot.  Often times exploration leads to discovery. 
 
I love discovery.

I am not talking about the channel on tv, although they have some good programming…

…I mean, Mythbusters…hello.

The whole basis of discovery is based on expectation and your desire to know what to expect or your desire to expect something unknown or different.

I look back to Acts 1, Christ had just ascended, the people were in limbo (so to speak), and they really didn’t know what to expect because there was no option of remaining the same without Christ being physically present.  

So what did they do?

They did what they knew to do, but in doing so realized it wouldn’t have the same results.  

Why?

Because they couldn’t, Christ was not there (Physically).  However, Christ made a promise of sending  the Holy Spirit.  

So, they did what they knew to do…or what they had always known to do…and yet had a different expectation.

The result was nothing less than explosive. 

Read for yourself!

So, is that insanity…or faith?

The difference is the promise.

So this poses the question…As we go through our everyday life, sometimes monotonous, we live with the promises of God that we can read in His Word, do we expect those promises to come to completion in our lives?  Do we expect something different to happen in our conversations?  In our relationships?  In our churches?  Anywhere?  

If not, what is it we are settling for?  Do we look different from everyone else who goes through life doing the same thing over and over again with little to no expectation?  Imagine the impact that mindset would have on our lives, our conversations, relationships, and church.  

Insanity…tedium…faith…

Thoughts?



P.s.  I am always interested in hearing outside opinions, so feel free to share any of these blogs on the social networks you are on.  Maybe it will open some conversations that will broaden our perspectives.

1 comment:

Tom Scott said...

I work closely with people... I work in a photo studio and create portraits of teenage boys and girls.

I hope my work day would be like all other days, but it never is. There are no two people who see things exactly the same way. One person loves my style, and the next person hates it. My day is never predictable, which makes me have to work hard at commincating and trying to figure people out.

The same goes when I read God's word. His Word ministers to me differently every time I read it. I guess God never finds me predicatable, or easy.

It's kinda weird you know... The Bible never changes; it changes us.