The New Year— Expectations as an Heir
January 2, 2024
And just like that, we have found ourselves in January again, another year of life lived!
With the start of a new year comes all the desire to change and start fresh, set healthy habits and goals, and create a year better than the one before. The list of changes we want to make, goals we want to achieve, and habits we want to stick to are oftentimes short-lived. What if that’s because we try to maintain the new practices in our own strength? What would it look like to lay down our control and let God write His will for the year ahead on our hearts? How can we give God our hands and feet in a way that isn’t short-lived, but lived out every day of our lives?
As I have prayed through surrendering this next year to my Father, asking to hear His voice and desiring His guidance, the word “expectation” has been heavy on my heart. Lord, what do You want me to know, trust, and believe about You when it comes to expectation?
Expectation: a strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future; one’s prospects of inheritance.
These two pieces of the word’s definition stood out to me. Do I have a strong belief that my future is in the hands of Jesus? Do I truly know my inheritance as a child of God?
“In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also… were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:11-14).
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God” (Galatians 4:4-7).
“This year I will finally _______.” This prompt is thrown at us from every direction when a new year begins. The fill-in-the-blank triggers our minds to come up with expectations for ourselves. This year I will finally be smarter with my finances. This year I will finally try harder in school. This year I will finally exercise more. This year I will finally stick to a diet. This year I will finally fix my marriage. This year I will finally go to church every Sunday. The list goes on and on and on. Setting goals is not a bad thing. Setting goals is healthy and can yield fruit-bearing growth! It’s the unrealistic and burdensome expectations rooted apart from Christ that will cause chaos.
“Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you” (Luke 10:19).
We get to operate from the authority of Jesus Christ because He took our sins on the cross. Because He conquered death and hell, we get to boldly declare the truth that sends the enemy running. Confidence and humility are not a contradiction. True confidence stems from knowing who you are in Jesus. “Believing you are capable of anything God asks you to do is not pride; it’s faith.” As I have been in a season of learning my authority as a believer, this quote hit home for me. God doesn’t desire for us to have humility that steals our strength and worth. When we submit to His reign, abide in His love, and obediently follow His careful desires for our lives, drawing our strength from Christ alone, authority is our inheritance. He gave us a voice to rebuke the lies of the enemy (James 2:19). Why would we not stand in authority and use it? He gave us a sword to fight every battle (Hebrews 4:12). Why would we not stand in authority and hold it up high? He gave us a sound mind to discern the foolish ways of the world (2 Timothy 1:7). Why would we not stand in authority and defeat fear? He gave us a heart to hold life (Proverbs 4:23). Why would we not stand in authority and guard it?
I can’t help but wonder what chains will fall and what revival will break out if we shift our new year expectations of bettering ourselves to holding the expectation that, when we give God our yes and remain obedient, He will work for our good and His glory. For this is a promise in His Word. “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Romans 8:25 → When I put my hope in Jesus, I can expect eternity with Him.
Isaiah 41:10 → When I look to Jesus, I can expect to be strengthened.
Isaiah 26:3 → When I trust in Jesus, I can expect perfect peace.
John 16:33 → When I take heart, I can expect victory.
Psalm 37:23-24 → When I delight in the Lord, I can expect guidance.
Matthew 11:28-29 → When I surrender my burdens at His feet, I can expect rest.
1 Peter 2:24 → When I give my life to Christ, I can expect healing.
Standing in authority and confidently expecting the goodness of God because that’s who He is and not because arrogance leads us to believe we deserve it, doesn’t mean His perfect plans will happen in our timing or in the ways we want it to come to be. Standing in authority and confidently expecting the goodness of God means: “Jesus, my hands are open. May the desires of my heart align with the desires of Your will for me. I surrender my control to Your loving sovereignty. My joy and my peace is found only in You.” Standing in authority and confidently expecting the goodness of God is having a strong belief that His promises will be fulfilled in our lives.
This year– may our eyes be set on Heaven, our hands opened to His will, our knees on the ground before His throne, declaring His truth as we operate in the authority Jesus died to give His people. May our expectations stay rooted in Who sits upon the throne, not in our human agendas. May we stand tall on the Word of God, just as Jesus stood tall all the way to the cross where He conquered death, and now stands tall in Heaven as we await His return.
“Death has been swallowed up in victory. O, death, where is your victory? O, death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Corinthians 15:55-57).
It would not be written if we could not declare it aloud as heirs of our Savior.
Happy New Year! What are your expectations for 2024 and in whom are you placing them?
To my First Love,
I’m laying this year at Your feet. I pray 2024 would be a year of growing in intimacy with You, increasing my faith in the loving Father I get to serve, know, and be known by. Waking up to a new year is a gift- help me to steward it well in all that I do. May my expectations align with Your goodness and Your character, not the pride and passion of my flesh. This year, may I fight my battles on my knees, knowing that in You alone I am victorious.
Amen