Expectations

One of my favorite rides at Disneyland, back when I was a kid, was the miniature cars that you drove around a long, long race track. I’m sure that the track was not nearly as long as my memory now suggests. And the cars are only miniature when I see them now, because back then they were the real deal. I was thrilled to sit in that car, buckle up, step on the gas and grab the steering wheel.

In reality, the steering wheel did not steer the car at all. The car rode on a steel track. But the most disappointing aspect of the ride was the gas pedal. About half way around the track I began to realize that no matter how hard I pushed down on the gas pedal that little dream car was never going to go faster than about two miles an hour.

Needless to say, my dreams were dashed. Mr. Disney had put limits on my expectations by putting a limiter on the gas pedal. All I could do was sit in the car and putt-putt along.

We can put a limiter on God by our expectations. We can box him in, steer him on a predetermined track, and rig the gas pedal so that he can only putt-putt along. You may want to disagree and say that nothing you say or do, nothing you believe or trust can limit the awesome greatness and power of God. Think again. Think personal, not universal.

There is a story in the gospels of a woman who was subject to bleeding, a condition that had persisted for twelve years. She heard that Jesus was passing through her town. She thought to herself, “If I just touch his clothes I will be healed.” (Mk 5:28). So she came up behind Jesus, in the midst of the crowd, and touched his cloak. Immediately her bleeding stopped and she was healed of her suffering. Jesus knew that power had gone out from him and demanded to know who had touched him. Why? So that he could commend her faith and speak blessing and peace upon her.

Think about it.  There were many, many people crowded around Jesus, many who crowded around close enough to touch him and his coat. They had heard of his miraculous power to heal. Yet no one else in the crowd was healed. They did not come to see Jesus with any expectation of him doing something unique, powerful, or personally transforming. They only knew him in that region as a local boy who had learned how to draw a crowd.

We can limit God by our biased beliefs and lack of faith. God will not rise above our expectations. If we believe God will not do miracles, that He does not speak to his children, that he doesn’t deliver the power to overcome sin, that he cannot give peace, hope, and joy, that he cannot transform my broken life, then guess what. He won’t. We are then left with our own self-effort, our own willpower, and prayers that we believe are full of faith but only exhibit a general belief in the goodness of God.

I recently had the opportunity to direct a week of camp for a hundred Jr Hi boys. My biggest goal was to lift the spiritual expectations of the counselors and staff. By mid week the expectations were swallowed up by petty criticisms and a focus on program concerns.  We took stock, refocused our expectations, and prayed fervently for God to move in the hearts of the boys. The last few days of the week the Holy Spirit poured out his power and love in the hearts of many of the boys, and we saw revival that only God himself could have accomplished. Personally, I think God was glad to answer our prayers and meet our expectations.

“Dear Lord, increase my faith, help me to trust you with ever larger expectations. I’m really not happy to putt-putt along at two miles an hour.”