Anticipation is a funny thing. Literally it means “expectation.” And expectation means you are confident the thing you're anticipating will happen.

Funny, right?

OK maybe not literally funny, but what about if you look at it like this: Even though no one can tell the future, we can all think of times in our lives when we were certain something was definitely going to happen.

Does it at least make you go “hmm?” How can we be confident that something is going to happen, when we don't know what's going to happen?

I especially catch myself anticipating outcomes in times of extreme emotions—for better or for worse. OK mostly for worse. It could be some sort of coping mechanism to prepare for the worst so bad news won't hit so hard. But now that I think about it, this way of coping sure doesn't allow much room for fun or sleep so I don't know how effective it is.

Probably the most cliché thing you can say to someone stressing over a future outcome he or she can't control is Philippians 4:6: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God,” (NIV).

Cliché or not, if you can think past the familiarity of the verse I think you'll find this is actually incredible advice. But it is also, funnily enough, difficult to accomplish.

So how do we move past anticipating and towards resting in the hope of the future God has promised He'll take care of? That's where faith comes in. Faith that God really will take care of us, and believing all things really do work together for God's ultimate good (Romans 8:28). It's a shift in perspective as well as attitude. So what is faith?

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1)

To my ears, faith sure sounds a lot like anticipation. But it seems like a healthier brand than I've been subscribing to. It seems like the kind of anticipating where I can have hope for what's going to happen, but I can also relax, have some fun, and get some sleep.

How do you anticipate?