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Great Expectations 

By Bobbie Jean Merck

"Commit your enterprise to the Lord, and trust Him to accomplish it ~

and He shall bring it to pass" (Psalm 37:5 The Bible from 26 Translations).

   If there is one heritage my grandfather, Papa Gunnels, left others and me from his saintly, Christian life, it could be summed up in his ability to believe the best about others. Regardless, he could always find at least one good and commendable characteristic in anyone. Because his focus was in this direction, he was a man free from anxiety, worry, fear, resentment, and unforgiveness. I suppose one could say that he simply trusted and believed in God for every person. The community had the highest respect for him. Saved or sinner, if asked who was the greatest Christian in the community, the quick response would be Garnett W. Gunnels.

   Papa Gunnels would not tolerate anyone speaking critically or mockingly of anyone in his presence. As a child, one of my most vivid memories is sitting at the family dinner table next to my aunt, who was two years older than me.  I was very hungry, but not so hungry that I couldn't join in when my aunt remarked on a certain lady who wore bright red lipstick to church. Her remark was quite descriptive and we giggled gleefully.  Grandfather gazed at us solemnly and suddenly, the countenance on his face changed.  He calmly, authoritatively, and matter of factly stated a good virtue about the lady. As he spoke, our laughter was silenced and we felt the hot shame of our critical minds. In like manner, as he spoke in her defense, no doubt canceling our negative attitudes and my aunt's words, he dismissed us from the table.

   Oh! How my hungry stomach suffered because of a thoughtless moment at someone's expense.  I wonder if our heavenly Father dismisses us from His table when we mock and criticize others. Could this be one of the reasons we are so lean in our spiritual lives?  On his deathbed, Jonathan G. Edwards, the great revivalist, was asked what his number one regret as a minister was. He replied that he regretted that he had ever judged or criticized a fellow minister.

        People usually rise to the expectations others have for them!

   Jesus believed in people. I am sure He could believe in them because He knew and understood His Father, the Holy Spirit, the Word, and the power of prayer. I am certain He also had absolute confidence of His mission. Think on it: He not only came to give His life for humanity, His mission included raising up followers to carry on and fulfill His mission. Jesus must have seen something special in the men He chose that others, including you and I, could not see. If nothing else, He could see that their weakness could be made strong by God's strength.

   God does not give up and neither does He stop!  When He begins, He has a picture, a vision of the finished product! He keeps on working until His job is complete. As an example, consider Simon Peter. Simon was known as 'the Flaky One'. Being flaky, he did flaky things. Because he was afraid, he tried to stop Jesus from going to Jerusalem. For three years, Jesus preached love and forgiveness to Peter. What did Peter do? He cut off the Roman guard's ear with a sword. During His trial, when Jesus needed a friend the most, in his self-centered fearfulness, Peter even denied knowing Jesus. He was a prime example of hearing and not doing.

   While He sought "not My will but Thy will be done," Jesus prayed until sweat and blood poured from Him.  It was His most traumatic moment and His followers slept. These chosen followers constantly argued over who would be the greatest and have the most preeminent position. Loyalty was not one of their attributes.  Jealously and competition was their norm.
   Yet, Jesus believed in them and chose to work with them. The evidence from their lifestyles would have shouted, "Impossible!"  But Christ spent all night in prayer before He appointed them. Therefore, he had a dream, a vision, a faith and a hope that could not be daunted by their flaky lifestyles. He could see the finished product.  He believed in Himself and in His own work to release what" was necessary to bring these men to God's highest and best plan for their lives.

   Jesus poured a mold of greatness for them to fill and on the day of Pentecost they began to fill it. He believed in them when they could not believe in themselves. , People usually rise to the expectations others have for them. Perhaps we simply need someone to show us who we really are. Perhaps that is what we are all searching for so desperately - someone to acknowledge the goodness and the abilities that we each sense about ourselves, but are so hesitant to believe and release from our lives.

   To have someone we respect believe in us and help set our greatness free. It certainly worked for Peter, the other ten, and 109 others who we see transformed suddenly on the day of Pentecost. It can happen to us and to those who concern us. I remember such a vision. In 1980 a man came to my camp meeting. Although God was knitting my heart to this man's wife's heart for kingdom purposes, I had not met him. The moment I saw him, I had a picture of his absolute willing, faithful, obedience to the thing and will of God  It was an image that was impossible to erase. For the next ten years, his lifestyle challenged the vision.  But all I could see was. the finished product.

   Suddenly (and of course much love and prayer had transpired on this man's behalf), an event occurred that completely turned this man and his lifestyle around. From that moment he began to live out the expected picture I had received ten years earlier. All God needs is one person to have a glorious picture of another. Usually, we rise to the expectations that are expected of us.
   It is said that when Peter was facing crucifixion for his faith and ministry, he asked to be crucified upside down. He felt unworthy to be crucified as His Master was crucified. He died in absolute love, forgiveness and loyalty. Everyone else called him "the Flaky One" but Jesus called him "the Rock" Jesus' expectations of Peter's greatness came to pass.  "I have not lost sight of my plans for you, the Lord says, and it is your welfare I have in mind, not your undoing; for you, too, have a destiny and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11 Knox). 

   How many, like Peter, have been mocked, ridiculed, written off, and called "flaky?" Jesus believed in his appointed followers and released their greatness. Do you?

   Jesus never wasted His power or drained His energy by begging or manipulating others to follow Him. He simply moved on. He preached, He taught, He healed, and He delivered. He simply did who and what He was. The choices He left to His hearers. He was never moved by their indifference, by their opposition, or negativism. He was confident in His Father, the Holy Spirit, and Himself. He knew the power of the Word and His willing obedience. Jesus put no confidence in flesh. He worshiped His Father and rejoiced!
   When the Holy Spirit was quickening my heart to our need for confidence, He said, "The final count is not in, what you all need is confidence." One of the revelations that went with this was in Philippians 3:3, "For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh."  The Lord told me that as, long as we are looking at what "they" are doing in the flesh, and at situations and circumstances, we are putting confidence, hope, and expectations in their flesh rather than in Him, and in His Word.

   Remember, according to our earnest expectations, so shall it be. Why? Because that is where our trust, faith, and confidence is located.  Stay rooted in Him and busy about the Father's business that He has appointed unto you. Trust Him and His Word. God changes people, places and things suddenly.
   Jesus never neglected His Father's and His own business by tampering in someone else's business. Angry words, distractions, or negative innuendoes had no effect on Him. He was strong in and by fellowship, Word, and prayer. I am sure even Jesus did things when He did not feel like doing them. However, He stayed focused on His mission and was not blown about by the winds of. the moment. As all good leaders and Christians should, He did the difficult things. We should do the difficult things even when they are not liked or approved by others. If they are approved and accepted by God and it is our assignment and His will, we do not compromise.  "When a man's ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him" (Proverbs 16: 7 The New King James Version).  Opinion polls should not determine our actions.

              The tendency of the masses is toward mediocrity

           but God has chosen us to excellence and achievement.

"You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you - I have appointed you, I have planted you - that you might go and bear fruit and keep on bearing; that your fruit may be lasting (that it may remain, abide); so that whatever you ask the Father in My name [as presenting all that I AM] He may give it to you"

                                                                John 15:16 The Amplified Bible

   We must not let other's opinions sway us from our heart and what it is telling us. We are to be led by the Holy Spirit and not by people. Of course, our leading and heart must be Word based and Word confirmed. If you would be a successful Christian and see your dreams fulfilled, you may have to say "no," not only to others, but occasionally to yourself.  Jesus said "no" to Himself in the Garden of Gethsemane. He also said "no" to His mother.  Sometimes we have to stand. . . ALONE.
   The important thing for all of us is not what others think us to be, but who and what God knows us to be, who and what we think we are, and what we can do. "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he... " (Proverbs 23: 7 The New King James Version). Amen.

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