Mindset = Expectation

All our words and acts are passing in review before God. (Ellen G. White)

Talk and act like a person expecting to be judged by the Rule that sets us free. For if you refuse to act kindly, you can hardly expect to be treated kindly. Kind mercy wins over harsh judgment every time. (James 2:12-13)

Expectation is a mindset that creates a sense of anticipation, is it not? When you invest your money in a fund, you anticipate a return. When you tell your teen to be home by curfew, you expect a timely return by that curfew end. What do we expect from each other? Those expectations create a mindset within that actually builds anticipation of some 'return'. We expect someone to be kind - revealed through kind words and deeds. This mindset is based on a form of hope. We could expect someone to act harshly, based on a set of expectations we have created about that person created from some character traits they exhibit. We have created a mindset based upon what we have observed. Because our 'minds' can be 'set' by a myriad of different things, expectations varying based on emotion and observations, we need someone to help us form the best 'mindset' possible. When we allow God to 'set' our minds, we are also allowing him to set our expectations. 

The RULE that has set us free is the one that should guide our 'mindset'. That rule? God's love seeks, finds, heals, and brings wholeness because of the finished work of Christ. Didn't Christ tell us to 'treat others as we expected to be treated'? Didn't he also live by that truth - leaving us with an example of how the 'rule' worked in everyday circumstances? What is 'hoped for' and what is 'observed' - both play a very important part in our journey with others. The truth is that we need to become the person that lives with God's love flowing through our veins. When you go to the Word of God, do you 'expect' it to change you? Or are you there to just 'check that one off the list' for the day? When you pray, do you expect God to hear and answer? Or are your words hollow and without true hope? 

We must understand the power of 'expectation' and how that creates a sense of anticipation within. We must also understand the power of the right mindset. When Christ is first in our lives, it is revealed in our choices and those choices are a direct result of having our expectations set by Christ. We 'expect' to live in safety - so God creates boundaries we are to live within. We 'expect' to be healed in areas where sin has left us in a world of hurt - so God brings us into times of closeness with him that allows him to minister to those wounds. All of our 'expectations' are tied to some form of 'anticipation', even in our relationship with God. Struggling? Disappointed by people? Disappointed by yourself? Ask God to purify your expectations - to give you a fresh mindset. Lean into him, anticipating his movement within. We might just have different expectations of those around us and ourselves as a result. Just sayin!