I have learned over the years not to have expectations of others. When we expect others to act the way we want them to act we are often disappointed.
We are disappointed because we are not taking into account their personalities, what God wants them to do or what is good for others. In reality, our expectations are all about ourselves and what we want.
When we learn to choose not to have expectations we will be much more peaceful and able to be giving freely when nothing is returned.
Our peace must be in Christ alone, not in what others around us are doing. Expectations only build sadness and resentment when they are not met. Again, the self is at the root of our fleshly expectations.
As a born-again believer, I expect God's promises because He said them and He never breaks a promise. However, human beings let one another down all the time. If we don't expect anything then we will not be sad or disappointed. Also, as born-again believers we know if something happens we have no control over then God has orchestrated it for our good.
Having said this I must make one exception, that is a spouse. We have a right to expect certain things from a spouse, but if they do not come through then we must give it to God and carry on as though we never expected it.
Love is not always easy but it is a command of God.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
"4 Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. 5 It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, 6 it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
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