Encouraging Thoughts — 1
I was listening to a youtube mix of 90’s Christian music today, and the song “Great Expectations” by Steven Curtis Chapman came on. I immediately recognized the song and remembered some of the chorus, but this was the first time I had listened to it since I was a kid. I was so struck by the lyrics that I felt compelled to write something about it. The song starts out by describing a man going through the normal routine of praying in the morning and his quiet time with God. He acknowledges that what he’s doing is good, but he’s also missing an opportunity to realize the magnitude of what he’s doing because the act has become so normal for him. The verse continues by describing the man realizing that when he’s praying, he’s literally standing before the throne of God. Not only is he standing before Him, but he’s also invited to join Him as a son. The chorus then describes what he’s been invited to, “to believe the unbelievable, to receive the inconceivable, and to see beyond his wildest imagination.” Upon realization of this, the chorus finishes with the final resolution of the man, “Lord, I come with great expectations.”
There’s so much to unpack here! First off, how many times in our lives do we get caught in a routine with our faith where it becomes stagnant simply because we forget how important what we’re doing is, and forget to think about the fact that we are with God when we’re praying? I know I’m very guilty of praying the same prayer about my family, friends, job, and coworkers on a regular basis to the point where it almost feels mechanical instead of like a conversation with the living God. I love the next part of the verse where he realizes that when he’s praying, he’s literally in the presence of God. That realization then snowballs into him thinking about the fact that God has called us to be his sons, a reference to Ephesians 1:5 “He determined in advance that through Jesus the Messiah we would be his sons.” That thought then makes him realize the magnitude of what God is asking of us and promising us when we accept the free gift of salvation he offers to us.
God is asking us to “believe the unbelievable” because why would the creator of the entire universe care about us so much that he would send his only Son to die on the cross for our sins, and the fact that the Son rose from the dead three days later (John 3:16). God is also asking us to “receive the inconceivable” because how are we worthy to receive the gift of eternal life, and how can we even comprehend eternity since we live in a world bound by time? God is also asking us “to see beyond our wildest imagination” because He has described what heaven will be like in 1 Corinthians 2:9 “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no one’s heart has imagined all the things that God has prepared for those who love Him.” After realizing all of those simple but true facts about salvation, we really have no choice but to come to God with great expectations every time we think about Him or pray to Him.
I think this song affected me so much today because it made me realize how much I take my salvation for granted. If all of those things are true, and we know they are, then I should be so much more motivated and excited about my faith every day! Salvation is a massive, crazy concept, and I should be making much more of an effort to appreciate it fully. I get so distracted with having big expectations about the next step in my career or different things I have going on in my life; I need to have even higher expectations for what God is doing in my life. Just the fact that he offers me salvation and what understanding that concept means, I also need to realize that the highest expectations I could ever have had for God have already been met. There’s nothing better than being accepted as His son and sharing a life with Him forever. The gift of life is the most precious gift you can give to anyone, and God has given that to all of us already. It’s a great reminder that we have so much to be thankful for. No matter what’s going on in your life today, I hope that you are encouraged by being reminded how incredibly blessed you already are by having a God who loves you and offers you eternal life!
Here’s the song “Great Expectations” from Steven Curtis Chapman:
