We generally find what we’re looking for. Our expectations set the lens in which we see the world and this makes it much easier to see what we were already expecting to see. And this can leave us in despair when we don’t learn to set great expectations and open our eyes to the fullness of life God has for us.
It’s true we’re bombarded daily with many things not as they should be in this world – darkness and negativity at every turn.
But it’s also true we get to choose where we focus our attention and anchor our hope.
When we focus on everything that is wrong and all the ways in which we’ve been offended then we will continue to find more of the same.
This is not to minimize the very real issues that need to be addressed. But it is to remind us there’s a much larger story at play – a story that confronts brokenness and points us to the restoration of all good things.
And much of this good is available even now, if we have the eyes to see.
Louis Armstrong was getting at this in his song What A Wonderful World:
I see trees of green
Red roses too
I see them bloom
For me and for you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Despite all the darkness, there is still much beauty and wonder all around us if we could just open our eyes to see. But we must want to see and expect to see in order to find.
And this plays out in big and small ways.
Are we looking for the subtle beauties of nature and those small joys of friendship? Are we expecting God to show up in big ways in our story and display the fullness of his glory?
If we’re not looking, we will likely miss the full joys God has for us – distracted by the lesser things of this life.
Learn to live with great expectations – eagerly anticipating every good and perfect gift God has for you.
Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash
