Have you heard the saying, expect the best, but plan for the worst? I’m not sure who coined that phrase, but we can set ourselves up for disappointment if our expectations are too high. Expectations can disappoint, especially if we are putting our hope in people’s behavior, or in circumstances. We’ve all had that happen, we expect something to turn out a certain way, and it doesn’t, or when we expect someone to act a certain way and they don’t. We feel let down, disappointed and sometimes worse. Part of that is just because we live on an earth that has a curse. It is a fallen world, but even Christians can disappoint us. We can even sabotage our own relationships when we put expectations on people, and they didn’t deliver. But the fault isn’t necessarily theirs; it was just our imaginary bar that they were supposed to reach. It happens in marriage all the time! For the husband and the wife, they expected the other to be or do or act a certain way, and when that doesn’t happen, disappointment sets in. It can also begin feelings of low-level resentment that can eat away at their relationship. Then comes the blame game, and an awful cycle has begun. In relationships, we have to communicate! Your spouse cannot read your mind. Let them hear you tell them what your wants and desires are. If you get a no, at least you know you were heard. You can spare your relationship and your heart from being wounded, and thwart the enemy’s plan to destroy your life.
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