Joy of Fulfillment

Most people can think about things for which they have had great anticipation.  Maybe that anticipation was a birthday, Christmas time, a new bike, a new game player, a new car, or a new home.  Possibly, you have anticipated the visit of a friend or relative whom you have not seen for some time.  Most likely all of us can think of things for which we have anticipated and most likely there will be further anticipations in the years ahead.  Anticipation is the excitement that a person has about looking forward to something that will bring a smile to their face, provide a note of joy to their heart, and fill them with a sense of great satisfaction. 

Most of the time anticipation is positive because the fulfillment will bring much happiness to the individual.  However, sometimes anticipation can be negative, especially when the individual has anticipated something for a long but it has not yet materialized.  This might result in a feeling of “dreaded expectation” and it may also produce fear or anxiety, rather than hope, and trust. 

From a biblical perspective, anticipation is a confident belief that what God has said will take place.  Another word for biblical anticipation is “faith.”  Faith as a general term is quite different than Biblical faith.  When someone has general faith, they have a “hope so” attitude.  They expect that something may happen, but in reality, it may not happen.  When someone has biblical faith, they have a “know so” attitude.  With Biblical faith they can be completely confident that what God has said will come to pass.  Hebrews 11:1 explains it this way, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”  Here are several important aspects of the statement from Hebrews.

(1) “Faith” – Is the actual anticipation of that which is expected.

(2) “Confidence” – Is Biblical faith because there is certainty in what is hoped for.

(3) “Assurance” – Is the guarantee that what is anticipated will essentially transpire – a “know so” attitude.

To sum up our discussion, anticipation is looking ahead and preparing for what God has already said and promised.  Joy comes when the result of anticipation has been fulfilled or completed. What do you look forward to?  What do you anticipate.  Is your anticipation a “hope so” kind of faith, or a “know so” kind of faith?  If you are looking for something for which you can be completely confident that it will actually happen, then go to the Bible and check out some of God’s promises such as “new birth”, “a living hope”, and “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade” Here’s what the Apostle Peter says in his 1st Epistle.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”  I Peter 1:3-5

Tis the Season

Have you ever thought about the message that many of our popular Christmas Carols covey?  For example:

“Silver Bells” tells us to be upbeat – “Children laughing, people passing, meeting smile after smile.”

“Up On the House Top” suggests merriment – “Ho, ho ho!  Who wouldn’t go?”

“Jingle Bells” advocates fun – “Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!”

“Deck the Halls” proposes being jolly – “’Tis the season to be jolly.

“It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” advocates happiness – “With kids jingle belling and everyone telling you ‘Be of good cheer.’”

So, what is the conclusion we get from these Carols?  Christmas must be a time filled with joy, cheer, parties, and family gatherings.  Right?  Maybe for some it is.  But this is wrong for others.  Many people experience Christmas as a time of anxiety, stress, loneliness, reflection on past failures, and concerns about an uncertain future.  Did you know that depression affects about 19 million American adults each year?  It takes away a person’s ability to function in everyday situations and affects thoughts, moods, and behaviors.  During Christmas many people are sad and grieve.  Some individuals avoid groups of people because they fear crowds or are afraid of being disapproved or embarrassed.  We need to realize that Christmas will not eliminate loneliness or feelings of sadness.  Here are some suggestions that you might want to try during this often stressed-filled season: 

1)      Look for positive things to alleviate disappointment.

2)      Volunteer to help others.  This will take your mind off yourself and give you a sense of usefulness.

3)      Do something for yourself.

4)      Do not spend the Christmas season alone but find people to be with. 

5)      Open the Bible and read the Christmas story.

6)      List the ways that God has been faithful to you.

7)      Focus on the real meaning of Christmas.

8)      Identify and write down at least 2 dozen (24) things for which you are grateful.

If Christmas does not seem like the most wonderful time of the year to you because of stress or disappointment realize that God wants to give you His joy.  Jesus said, “These things that I have spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (John 15:11). Notice that the qualification for a joy-filled life is to possess the joy of Jesus.  This will become a reality when you invite Jesus, who is the reason for the Christmas season, to become your Savior and Lord.  It is He who will give you joy despite your circumstances.  Have a blessed Christmas and a wonderful New Year.