The Disappointment Cycle

As you know, my theme and topic for some time has been exploring the idea of Expectancy without Expectation.  After wading through about 4 1/2 years of disappointment, I began to realize that my recurring disappointments were closely related to my expectations.  Expectation leads to disappointment. Expectancy is the opposite of expectation. Expectancy is believing that God is going to do glorious things, Expectation is telling God what those things are.

So I feel like all the dots are finally connecting in terms of understanding the disappointment cycle.  I know this isn’t rocket science, but having all the pieces put together into a diagram really helps my thinking and helps me be better able to determine if I’m hoping in a circumstance or hoping in God, waiting on a person or waiting on God.

The Disappointment Cycle goes like this:  FEAR —-> Expectation —–> Disappointment —-> FEAR, etc.

Fear causes us to set up expectations becuase we are afraid that God won’t really do the good things He’s promised, we don’t really believe that He’s able to provide for us or take care of us or do exceedingly abundantly above all we could ever ask or imagine (Eph. 3:20).  We don’t believe Him, so we are fearful, because we are fearful, we set up expectations because we’re afraid to surrender and let go, and because we have expectations, we get disappointed, which fuels our fear because we say, “See, God didn’t come through how I wanted Him to. I can’t trust Him.” Then we are more fearful, which leads to more expectations…you get the point.

The Fulfillment Cycle goes like this:  FAITH ——-> Expectancy ——-> Fulfillment ——–> FAITH, etc.

True faith (not just believing God for something but believing God period), means that we believe God enough to let go of our expectations, choosing instead to live in expectancy, believing that He will do greater and more glorious things (for His glory) than I could ever imagine, and I don’t have to tell Him what those things should be.  Because of this, we experience true expectancy, which pleases God, and we are then allowed to see true fulfillment, perhaps not of what we had in mind, but even greater things as God works His plans in our lives. When we experience glorious fulfillment, our faith is bolstered which gives us even more courage to surrender and trust Him with true expectancy for even more things, and fulfillment comes…you get the point.

Both are cycles, and I believe both can be habits.  I’m certainly well acquainted with the disappointment cycle–I’ve got that one down pat. But I’m just now climbing on the Fulfillment cycle, and praying God will help me learn how to ride it with as much consistency as I used to ride the other.  Grace, Lord!

I’m not there yet, but I’m on the way.  And praise God for moments of clarity, when we can see the ways we’ve gotten on the disappointment cycle for way too long. I pray we would begin, moment by moment and day by day, to let go of our fear, let go of our expectation, and live in true faith and expectancy, believing God period.  He is worthy of our trust.  Amen?