Expectations define perceptions that people have, and are defined by the perceptions that they hold. They are interconnected. Those things they they perceive to be true influence their expectations and their expectation level. What they expect will reveal their perception. Similar to, “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh” (Matthew 12:34, KJV). What people do is often contingent on what they believe. What people do and say often are indicators of what they hold to be true.
Expectation will also reveal people’s belief level. It indicates their trust level, and how they perceive themselves. More than that, it indicates how they perceive God’s perception of them. If their perception of themselves is poor, they tend to expect very little that is positive. Of course, if the perception is positive, they tend to expect good things. What they expect from God will also be predicated on what they perceive in relation to whether God’s view of them is positive or negative. Often these things also influence behavior.
Expectation is what people anticipate, and what they wait for or look forward to, either with hope or with fear. Conviction is strong persuasion or belief, or the state of being convinced. The conviction level indicates the persuasion of their expectation. It also indicates the amount of influence others have their life, and how much they are influenced by outside stimuli. If people have full conviction, outside influences – people and circumstances, will be of little consequence. If, however, their identity is wrapped up into those around them, and circumstances determine their destiny in their minds, conviction will greatly be influenced. Conversely, if the conviction is firm, those who greatly influenced them before, will not change it, neither will circumstances dictate the validity of their expectation.
What or who people focus on, will influence expectations and perceptions. Whatever the color of the glasses they look through will determine the color in which they see. Tint and shade will determine intensity. Conversely, if they will look through the naked eye, they will see more clearly because they see things in their true light. The True Light is required to see things as they really are! With pure Light comes true perception and the right expectation.
