"And he fixed his attention on them, EXPECTING to receive something from them." Acts 3:5
We base our expectations on the assumptions we have about people or groups of people. The same is true of ourselves.
Have you ever noticed how your expectations become a reality in your personal life? Expectations are literally a self-fulfilling prophecy. We do this consciously and subconsciously.
The lame man that sat for many years at the gate called "Beautiful" saw Peter and John coming up to the temple at the hour of prayer and fixed his attention on them, "expecting" to receive something. Although he had a congenital disability with no possible cure, he obtained healing because his level of expectation was "to receive something."
The Law of expectation is simple: you receive what you expect.
I read a little story about a kid in grade school who was always really rowdy and disruptive. Often, if a person assumes they are perceived a certain way, that perception shapes their actions, even if acting accordingly is not their intention. The rowdy kid in grade school knew everyone perceived him as disruptive, and so he was. The teacher expected terrible behavior, and as such, her expectations were fulfilled without fail.
Consider the profound impact this can have on your own life. Are the assumptions and expectations you have about yourself liberating or victimizing?
There are countless examples of the Law of Expectations at work in everyday life. For example, ever notice how people who think they're going to be laid-off suddenly experience a drop in the quality and enthusiasm for their work? Then what happens? They get fired! Their belief causes them to act a certain way, and those expectations then work to bring about the very thing that at first was only a figment of their imagination.
I. Assumptions condition the actual external results.
In one study, second graders listened to statements from their teachers before taking a math test. They heard one of these types of messages: expectation, persuasion, or reinforcement.
The expectation statements went something like, "You know your math really well!" or "You work really hard at your math."
Persuasion statements involved sentences like, "You should be good at math." or "You should be getting better math grades."
Finally, for the reinforcement statements, teachers said things like, "I'm pleased with your progress" or "This is excellent work!"
Now, what do you think the results were? The scores were the highest in the "expectation" category! Why were the expectation statements the most effective? They created personal assumptions within each student. Those assumptions conditioned the actual external results.
II. Your expectations will define your future, be it good or bad.
So, what are you expecting?
What do you believe God can do for you?
Things to do to adjust your expectations:
Start to set your thoughts and faith in the direction of the things that you want to see realized
Fan the flame of your faith. Believe that each day is God's gift.
Don't expect a hum-drum day; expect a faith-filled day designed by the Lord.
Rejoice in your day, don't dread the day.
God tends to meet us at the level of our expectations.
Raise your expectations for the day by allowing faith to fill your heart, mind, soul, and strength.
Have a blessed week,
Pastor (Rev. Elias Limones)
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