Chandra White-Cummings
Day 20: Not So Great Expectations
The launch of the college program went very well. The young women were enthusiastic about being able to participate in the program in the fall, and they gave me useful feedback for the other work I do, too. All in all, a wonderful day and well worth the amount of work that went into my participation at the event.
Yesterday was a good reminder about one of the themes running through today’s reflection. Jesus’ humility caused many of the ones He came for to not recognize Him, and to reject Him outright. How could someone so meek, unassuming, and uninterested in wresting power be their deliverer? Surely the Messiah was one who would seize political power from the current regime and elevate the social, economic, and ecclesiastical status of His people. When it became clear that such a coup d’etat was not going to happen, many Jews lost interest in the mission and ministry of Jesus. They missed the salvation of their souls because He wasn’t what they expected.
Expectation is huge in our relationships with God and others. Who do we expect Him to be? How do we expect Him to show Himself? And through whom? And what do we expect from others?
During one of the workshop sessions yesterday, I asked the ladies how they feel when adults expect them to be sexually active at their age. Without exception, they all expressed anger and disappointment. They don’t like it when we say things like, “I know you’re having sex, or you will be soon if you’re not doing it yet, so take these condoms to be safe.” They wondered why we expect so little from them. I see this as the reverse of the problem the Jews had. Because our expectation of them is so low, we are missing opportunities to help them rise above the status quo and experience a life empowered by God. Our low expectation is not just of them but of God, too.
By expecting them to live beneath the standard established by God, we also expose our low expectations of His power to strengthen and sanctify, His grace to save, and His truth to penetrate and transform their lives. Similarly, if we expect women to choose abortion because it’s legal, more economical or convenient, and we don’t expect them to honor the law of God, we rob ourselves of a God sighting in their lives and ours. We can’t recognize the Prince of Peace and the All-Sufficient provider, because we’re not expecting Him to show up.
Find out more at the 40 Days for Life website.
Previous Posts
• Days 18 & 19: Weekend Break
• Day 17: Does Anyone Care?
• Day 16: His First Home
• Day 15: A Different Kind of Choice
• Day 14: Even Now
• Day 13: Wondrous Love
• Day 12: The Real Reason Why
• Day 11: Exhausted and Spent
• Day 10: Every Breath We Take
• Day 9: First Things First
• Day 8: In the Power of Our Hand
• Day 7: Somebody Prayed for Them
• Day 6: Knowing Us
• Day 5: Mercy in the Midst of Judgment
• Day 4: Not for the Faint of Heart
• Day 3: The Unborn Child as Lazarus?