It was my friend’s birthday. I called her and invited her out to a surprise lunch date. I had planned to take her to an upscale restaurant as a treat. This place had a high-falutin reputation and was thought to be very special. So I picked her up, we went and it was very nice. On the way home, although she was grateful, she said something that made me realize that I had missed the mark. The thing I didn’t consider was that this particular friend would have gotten an enormous amount of joy thinking about what to wear and planning for the event. I had removed her anticipation. That was the day I realized that anticipation—the longing for an event—is vitally important.
Or take my daughter-in-law. She loves to plan trips. She spends months planning the big adventures she and my son will take. She researches and reads and finds just the right place to stay, the right place to hike, the right things to do. For her, the planning is half the fun. This buildup for the trip shapes a longing for the place. This is anticipation.
According to Merriam-Webster, anticipate means to give advance thought, discussion, or treatment of. To look forward to as certain: expect.
Anticipation for vacations, holidays and special events is very important. It adds a certain spice to the here and now. Sometimes it gives meaning to what we are doing today i.e., work today means retirement in the future. This is not the same as wishing away our daily life. We should be fully present each day but also be aware of the future.
I’ve been studying 1 Corinthians this summer in anticipation for our fall women’s groups. Hidden in all the do’s and don’ts of Christian living, Paul often references the future, like in 1 Corinthians 1:7, 4:5, 4:20 and 15:42-43, to name a few. He isn’t stuck in the weeds of life without a glimmer of hope for the future. He never forgets that there’s more—so much more! He longs for what is yet to come.
For example, in 1 Corinthians 11 Paul is talking about the Lord’s Supper. I never noticed the proclamation of the future in 1 Corinthians 11:26 when Paul states, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” The Lord’s Supper is a remembrance of the past work of Jesus but also forward looking. The future is never far from Paul’s mindset because it always matters. Paul is certain of what is yet to come.
I felt convicted by this. I often live my life as if this is all there is. I am so caught up in the here and now that thinking of what lies ahead gets lost on me. Frankly, most of the time, I am too busy to give it a thought. I don’t live my life with anticipation and expectation. I hate to admit it, but because eternity is beyond my view and my comprehension, it just becomes kind of “meh” for me. I forget that Jesus’ work is both past (His work on the cross) and future (the wedding banquet of the Lamb). His work is complete in terms of saving me, but I am never to forget the importance or relevance of His future coming. My thinking often stops at the cross: I know Jesus died for me, but I forget the power of His resurrection, and equally amazing, the power of my future resurrection with Him into His Heavenly Kingdom.
Why does this matter in the here and now? Because when we live like this world is all there is, when we live like this is the whole picture, we lose hope. Life doesn’t make sense. It can, at times, be drudgery. Or worse yet, we live like this is all we need. In 1 Corinthians 4:8 Paul says,
“Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have begun to reign—and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you!”
He is saying that the Corinthians act like they have already arrived, like this is the final chapter.
The important question is how do we wait? Paul was very focused on how the Corinthians lived. Am I living a life pleasing to God? Do I even know what I am waiting for? Like my daughter-in-law before a trip, am I getting to know the lay of the land, so to speak? Am I getting to know the One I’m waiting for or what His eternal kingdom will look like? If we don’t know what we’re missing, there won’t be a longing!
When we keep one eye on the future, we can live more victoriously in the present. The battle is already won. Furthermore, the future kingdom should motivate us to share the good news of Jesus to others so they can join us at the banquet in Heaven.
“Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” Revelation 19:9.
We should be handing out invitations to that big event! The future matters.
There is a story that has circulated online for years that illustrates this. There was a terminally ill young woman who told her pastor that she wanted to be buried with a fork in her hand. She explained that it was because after dinner, when the plates are collected, the hostess tells you to keep your fork. She said she always loved that part because she knew something good lay ahead—the dessert!
An old song from 1971 is “Anticipation” by Carly Simon. The closing line of the song says, “These are the good old days.” I promise you this is not true! For those who believe in Jesus, these are not your best days. We should be like the woman who wanted to be buried with the fork; we should acknowledge the best is yet to come!
ABOUT OUR BLOGGER
Bonnie Kotler and her husband Mitch have two daughters, three sons, seven grandchildren and three grand-puppies. She was a stay-at- home mom for many years before re-entering the workforce after receiving her M.S. in Counseling and Human Relations from Villanova University. She is a licensed professional counselor at The Peacemaker Center and her own private practice, True North Counseling. Bonnie has been on the Willowdale women’s ministry teaching team since 2012. Bible studies have played a key role in her walk as a believer, and in turn, she loves to help other women find their peace with God and grow in their faith. She enjoys writing Bible study materials, reading fiction, spending time with family and doing anything in the sunshine. Bonnie loves to laugh and considers laughter as the best medicine. Psalm 126:2