Managing Expectations, Kindling Anticipation
By Cackie Upchurch
Participants in our small groups often share what initially brings them to Bible study in general or to a particular Bible topic. Almost every response is filled with some form of expectation—the desire to strengthen one’s personal beliefs, the hope to better understand what the Bible teaches or why it is still important, the desire to find a community of like-minded individuals, or perhaps a yearning to encounter Christ in a more personal way.
Sharing desired results is not quite the same as stating the level of commitment required to realize these expectations. Frankly, some folks in our groups can become quickly discouraged. So, how might we encourage one another to be realistic in our expectations while at the same time trusting God to be in this work with us, perhaps gifting us with what we may not expect at all?
Be Practical
One way to manage expectations is to be clear about the purpose and process at work in Little Rock Scripture Study. This is not a lecture series, though there are thoughtful lectures to accompany many of the studies. This is not a prayer group, though prayer is essential for the individual and for the group to share together. This is not an academic study, though solid scholarship is part and parcel of each topic.
First and foremost, Little Rock offers a way to encounter Christ in God’s Word. We will learn more about the Bible and how to understand it, but the primary purpose of that information is to meet and grow with God. This requires some work on our part. And some patience.
By setting aside daily time to read and ponder an assigned portion of Scripture, along with informative footnotes and commentaries, we lay a foundation that gives the Bible’s stories and teachings appropriate context. We also learn to recognize how we may have been misinterpreting Scripture, perhaps relying too heavily on our own biases or preconceived ideas.
Regularly spending time with the Word will bear fruit in our own prayer lives, in the way we frame what is happening in the world, and in how we learn to trust in God’s mercy. For most of us, that transformative process requires time and perseverance. Don’t hesitate to be honest about the slow unfolding of deeper faith.
Be Receptive
While faith in Jesus is decidedly personal, it rarely grows if tucked away as if it is a private treasure. Faith thrives among people who can trust one another to question and reason together, multiplies in a community with shared hopes, and deepens among people who can pray together and seek God’s guidance.
The beauty of meeting in small groups to share our insights, questions, and prayer is that the Spirit will be at work in the wisdom and humility of the group. If one person is struggling with a particular passage or its application, another person might commiserate while another offers an alternative way to see and hear the passage.
Over time, the sorrows and joys of each person’s life become part of the glue that creates a small community out of a somewhat disparate group of people. By sharing what we are learning about the God who is revealed in Scripture, we become better able to see how God is being revealed in our own lives. By praying together we intentionally invite God into our lives.
I never cease to be amazed by how God moves in the lives of Bible study participants, usually in ways that were never expected. I know a couple who, after a few years of Bible study, felt moved to transform their beloved greenhouse into a food pantry. Over thirty-five years later, it is still operating under the guidance of the adult children of that couple. A woman in a neighboring parish decided to pursue training to certify her to minister in a hospital, something she credits to the transforming power of God’s Word in her own life.
Who knows what God may do! But have faith, God will be there with you.
