I recently received an advertisement for a piece of property in Montana and the well done slick website made it appear as though this place was a little piece of heaven on earth. A few weeks later I was in Montana and actually visited it and was very disappointed that it was much smaller, and not nearly as elegant as depicted. (Actually that is being kind; it was not at all what it was made out to be.)
Even though I wasn’t interested in purchasing a vacation home in Montana, I felt almost betrayed and violated by the misleading advertisement.
I always try to set realistic expectations, especially when hiring someone and describing the position and the company to a potential candidate for employment, or advertising a product such as our Honey Lake Resort and Spa to valued customers. I was telling a friend the other day that I would actually prefer to understate it a little, so when they actually see it and enjoy it for themselves their expectations are exceeded rather than unfulfilled.
I believe this concept is extremely important when trying to share the Gospel. If anyone is led to believe that Christians are “entitled” to a stress free life on this planet they will without question be disillusioned. Christians enjoy happiness and their fair share of the good times, but grieve, suffer, and experience bad times just like the worst unbeliever. Our advantage is that even while suffering we still can have joy in our hearts and God’s incredible peace via the Holy Spirit, knowing that there is a beautiful radiant light that awaits us after the storm passes and we will enjoy it forever.
I believe that it is vitally important for those of us who try to work with nonbelievers in attempting to lead them to the Lord to manage our own expectations. I worked with someone recently for over two years trying my best to lead them to Jesus Christ and during the course of our relationship I counseled them on a failing marriage and various crises with problematic children, serious financial troubles stemming from poor decision making and failed businesses, and importantly how they could improve their life by reading and studying the Holy Bible, have fellowship with other Christians and live a righteous life that is not full of lies and deception.
It seemed to work for a while and indeed this person’s life took a sudden and dramatic turn for the better, but alas over time they reverted right back to the same old person that they were when I first met them. It was as though I’d never said a word.
Hmmm… Had I paid attention when I read the Bible I would not have been unduly disappointed about this situation, because Jesus Himself gave us a managing expectations seminar extraordinaire on this very subject and somehow I overlooked it.
In Mark chapter 4 Jesus tells a parable about a farmer.
Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.’ And he said, ‘Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’
The disciples had ears, but apparently they did not “have ears to listen“, at least attentively enough to understand it. They asked Jesus to further explain and this is what He said:
The sower sows the word. These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. But they have no root, and endure only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.* And others are those sown among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word, but the cares of the world, and the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing. And these are the ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.’
Christ is managing expectations here. We should expect more people to reject the word of God than accept it. It is going to happen! Don’t be unduly discouraged when it unfolds in your life, it is just the way it is.
Farmers are a hardy lot. Here at Honey Lake I have gotten to know and become good friends with a professional farmer with whom we co-op. He takes the droughts, and the bugs, and the weeds, and the varying soil types in stride and always endures hardship with a relaxed smile, (far better than me). I think if he is to be a professional farmer he simply has to have this mindset.
As a spiritual farmer I sometimes need to be reminded that it is God’s Holy Spirit that changes lives and not me. My farmer friend cannot control the weather; all he can do is sow the seeds in a professional manner. As a spiritual farmer sowing seeds and sharing what little I know about the word of God with others, I now better realize that some of it will yield a bountiful crop and some of it won’t, and that is beyond my feeble control. As with everything in my life I just need to turn it all over to the Lord and be content with just doing my job and putting it entirely within His very capable hands.
While it is very difficult to invest so much time in someone only to see them wither away before my eyes, indeed that is the very nature of farming. It is really no different than having watched our expensive corn crop wither away in the hot Florida sun during the drought this year.
As I think about it, last year we had perfect weather and my soybeans exceeded expectations. It is the nature of the beast and I musn’t forget that there is a beast in the equation.
Spread the seed of the good news of Jesus Christ, pray for those with whom you share, but turn it all over to the Lord regarding the harvest…manage your expectations and don’t forget that there is a beast in the equation.
Matt. 28:19
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”