On Managing Expectations

I can’t remember ever starting a football season with high hopes for the Lions. History has taught me not to be bullish on the team from Detroit. Yet as the season progressed, I found myself starting to believe. A division title and a home playoff game. Winning games in the same glorious fashion they used to lose them. By the time they finished off the Buccaneers, I was all in. I had drank the kool-aid. This was a team of destiny. Then last night happened.

Expectations are problematic. When they are met, we feel satisfied. When reality falls short, there is pain. We bring our expectations to football teams, family gatherings, and vacations. We bring our expectations to first dates, movies, and new jobs. The older we get, the more modest our expectations tend to be. We’ve seen life fail to meet our expectations too many times to set them high.  But there is one place where our greatest expectations are promised to be exceeded. When Jesus returns to make all things new or when we join him in heaven we will discover a reality that far exceeds our greatest hopes. The new creation will never disappoint. So set your expectations sky high. In a world that regularly falls short of our expectations, we will one day inherit a world that will exceed our highest hopes.