While it may be argued that expecting and presuming are related… they really aren’t. Though admittedly, they may seem to be the same. According to Webster, expecting: “to anticipate or look forward to the coming or occurrence of…”. Presuming: “having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude.”
Many might argue that presuming isn’t an expression of a superiority… but reconsider – isn’t it? Look at some of the synonyms – authoritarian, imperious, bossy, dominant, condescending, patronizing, impertinent – aren’t they typical of the behaviors you see in presumptive people? While the word that describes expecting – anticipate – is confident. To me, expecting is based in hope and presuming is based in haughty. Context is a critical determinant. Both expecting and presuming come from a personal belief that whatever it is we want, think we want, need, etc. comes from a realization that we can’t accomplish (fill in the blank) by ourselves, apart from the Lord’s hand.
Presuming is a type of con job attempt… this time on the Lord. I think we’ve all done this consciously and subconsciously – intentionally… and not. Point being that this is not the foundation we should be establishing. Who do we think we’re fooling? We’re not. Any relationship that isn’t built on honesty will crumble, because there will be no trust and without trust there can be no relationship. (Yes, my definitions.) Can one be ‘innocently’ presuming? Until knowledge and understanding are part of the equation then possibly a case could be made for ‘innocent’. However, that is no excuse and when confronted by either or both of those parts, innocent can no longer be ‘used’.
Expecting is also based in knowledge and understanding. We look at our previous experiences with the Lord and trust Him to continue to fulfill who He is. Let’s face it – some times what we want isn’t the best for us. When we trust the Lord to ‘have our backs’ then we rely on what He does – when and where. We can be ‘anxious for nothing’ (Philippians 4:6-7). What happens when what you’ve (hoped for) expected doesn’t occur? Then you discover the depth of your trust in the Lord to lead you, and help you to grow. When you do trust then you can safely and securely move on that His decisions (Isaiah 55:8-9) are for your best. And no… this isn’t always easy.
