For Christmas, my mother-in-law gave me the One Year Women's Devotional and the very first devotional, which I read the day after Christmas, was entitled, "Hope Does Not Disappoint." I thought the topic was very fitting following the Christmas season. Around the holidays, we seem to build up our expectations- expectations of what gifts we will receive; expectations of the reactions to the gifts we give; expectations of making great family memories; and the ultimate expectation, that this year will be the best year yet. Yet it seems that every year, in one way or another, our expectations fall short. We are left disappointed by something that happened, something someone said, something that was left undone, or that this year was just like every year before. We are left wanting more.
Every year, I too put a lot of expectations on the holiday season. I want everything to be perfect, everybody to get along, and for life-long memories to be made along the way. And it seems that every year, as I look back, I think of something that went wrong, an expectation that was left unfulfilled. My reaction, like many of yours, to these disappointments is to not have expectations for then there is no chance of disappointments. But that too leaves me wanting more.
This is not a blog instructing you on how to manage your expectations or how never to be disappointed around the holiday season. It is to remind you, as my devotion reminded me, that there is an expectation that will never be left unfulfilled, a hope that will never disappoint. It is a reminder that as humans we disappoint, we let each other down, and therefore, all expectations we put in people will fall short. That is not to say that we shouldn't have expectations of people or that we shouldn't hope for things to happen, but isn't it good to know that there is One who will never fail or disappoint, who can handle all our expectations? The devotion reminded me that even though I might have disappointments in life and things I wish had gone differently, there is a hope that never disappoints.
Therefore since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
Romans 5:1-5
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