Our expectations are typically based on the assumptions we have about people or groups of people. The same is true of us. Have you ever noticed how your expectations become a reality in your personal life? Expectation is literally a self-fulfilling prophecy. We do this consciously and subconsciously. Remember the kid in grade school who was always really rowdy and disruptive (this could have been me)? Often, if people already assume they are perceived a certain way, then that is exactly how they will act, even if they don’t mean to. The rowdy kid in grade school knew everyone perceived him as disruptive, and so he was. The teacher expected bad behavior, and the expectations were fulfilled time and time again.

Consider the profound impact this can have on your own life. Are the assumptions and expectations you have about yourself liberating or victimizing? There are countless examples of “self-fulfilling prophecies” or the Law of Expectations at work in everyday life. For example, ever notice how people who think they’re going to be fired suddenly experience a drop in the quality and enthusiasm for their work? Then what happens? They get fired! Their belief causes them to act a certain way, and those expectations then work to bring about the very thing that at first was only a figment of their imagination.

In one study, second graders listened to statements from their teachers before taking a math test. There were three types of statements: expectation, persuasion, or reinforcement. The expectation statements went something like, “You know your math really well!” or “You work really hard at your math.” Persuasion statements involved sentences like, “You should be good at math.” or “You should be getting better math grades.” Finally, for the reinforcement statements, teachers said things like, “I’m pleased about your progress” or “This is excellent work!” Now, what do you think the results were? The scores were the highest in the “expectation” category! Why were the expectation statements the most effective? They created personal assumptions within each student. Those assumptions conditioned the actual external results.

Your expectations will define your future, good or bad. So, what are you expecting? What do you believe God for? Start to set your thoughts and faith in the direction of what you want to see happen. Fan the flame of your faith. Believe that each day is God’s gift. Don’t expect a hum-drum day; expect a faith-filled day that the Lord has made. Rejoice in your day, don’t dread the day. God tends to meet us at the level of our expectations. So raise your expectations for the day by allowing faith to fill your heart, mind, soul, and strength.