Anticipation can be described as a visualization of a future event or state. It can be the act of looking forward, or the expectation of something to come.
We can often find ourselves in a position where we are looking to the future and anticipating what the outcome may be. A pregnant woman anticipates the birth of her child. A student anticipates graduation. An engaged couple anticipates their wedding day. Those are a few examples of things we positively anticipate. We can, however, anticipate negative future states such as sickness leading to death, a poor economy leading to the loss of a job, or a struggling marriage to end in divorce. Regardless, I would ask you to consider how each of us looks towards the future, and I would ask you to consider whether or not that act could be defined as fear or faith.
From the day we are born, our life experiences teach us to anticipate, or expect, a certain future - each in a very different way. How I grew up as a child and how you grew up are probably very different. We are each are very similar, but yet so very different from each other. The perspective we have on our own lives and on the world and people around us are driven by our past experiences. I’ve often heard that two people can witness the same event, but have completely different descriptions of it. The reason for this is that we each filter life’s experiences through those of our own – which of course, are very unique to each of us.
So, as we face today and as we see the world around us, we have a very simple, but yet very profound decision to make. It’s a hard one. Are you ready for this? We can continue to see the world, and anticipate outcomes of present circumstances based on our own experiences, OR we can anticipate outcomes of present circumstances based on what our Father in heaven’s experiences and perspectives are. Yes, I really said that. We can continue to look at life through our own eyes and our own experiences or we can look at it through what God’s truths are.
I am probably going to oversimplify this, but I think you will get the picture. Our own lives and experiences teach us to fear certain things and circumstances. The current economy, for example, could cause us to anticipate job loss and the subsequent loss of our homes and a means for caring for our families. It’s easy to see that anxiety could quickly set in and cause us emotional paralysis. However, we can also choose to look at the economy and even look past it and see God’s truths. What does He say about our futures? Doesn’t He tell us not to worry or fear what may come (Luke 12:22-31)? Doesn’t He tell us that He will take care of us? Doesn’t He tell us what faith is (Hebrews 11:1)?
Today, I encourage you to look upon your own life through God’s eyes and not through your own. Get into the Bible and read about what God has prepared for you. We can choose to base life on our own experiences, or we can base it on God’s. Personally, I am eager to learn more about what God has for me so my anticipation (or faith) in life is based on what His truths are and not based on what my own experiences have been.
What will you choose?
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