Shattered Expectations
An iconoclast is defined as a person who challenges cherished beliefs, traditions, or established institutions. It is used to describe rebels or innovators who defy conventions in fields like art, politics, or religion. Does this sound like anyone you know? Certain people in your life may have already come to mind. Since Jesus is in all our lives, he certainly should be in the forefront of our minds when we hear rebel, mold breaker, shatterer of the status quo, iconoclast.
If you did not need to look up the definition of iconoclast, I applaud your vocabulary! This word jumped out at me recently (and I did need to look it up!) in a C. S. Lewis quote about God: “My idea of God is not a divine idea. It has to be shattered time after time. He shatters it Himself. He is the great iconoclast.”
Don’t get me wrong. No one welcomes dashed hopes or unmet expectations. This is not what happens with the Lord. His response to our requests may be surprising, but there will always be a response. We can choose to be shattered by his apparent silence or blown away by blessings beyond our expectations.
God does not always act or answer prayers in the way we want him or expect him to. Lewis goes on to say, “He has upset the world with the foolishness of the gospel.” God’s good news is not always good news for us. We must frequently reassess our perceptions of the ways that God works in our daily lives.
God’s instructions to Samuel may or may not have been good news for the first seven of Jesse’s sons…
In this Sunday’s reading from 1st Samuel, Chapter 16, the Lord shattered the prophet’s perception of which of Jesse’s sons should be chosen as the Lord’s anointed. God advised Samuel not to base his opinion on appearances. The youngest, a shepherd boy David, was to be the anointed one. This was probably not the good news that David’s seven older brothers had hoped to hear.
My takeaway: first impressions can be deceiving. How many times have I made a snap judgement of another based on how they were dressed or how they spoke? Which preconceived notions that I cling to need to be shattered?
From Ephesians 5:8-14, we hear how darkness is shattered when we accept the light of Christ. What are some dark areas I struggle with that need to be shattered with Light therapy?
In the Gospel message from John, Chapter 9, a blind man’s sight is restored after Jesus creates clay by spitting on the ground and smearing it on the man’s eyes—both an unexpected occurrence and outcome for sure! A little later in this lengthy reading, Jesus shatters the commonly held notion that children are punished because of the sins of their parents. What long-held beliefs or family traditions might I need to reevaluate?
Heavenly Father, I confess that I have tried to control too many outcomes and have grown weary in my striving. I surrender my timelines and my desires to your perfect, higher plan. Replace my frustration with your peace that surpasses all understanding and guard my heart against disappointment. I release all my shattered expectations to you. Amen.