Expectations
Expectation is defined as believing that something is going to happen, or believing that something should be a certain way. Humans have a tendency to let their happiness be dictated by their expectations being fulfilled. Where do your expectations come from? Are your expectations influenced by those around you or by things you see on TV? What about your expectations for your future? Are these expectations based on what you see happening to those around you and on your past experiences?
Your expectations are what drive your beliefs. Your beliefs influence your behaviors and over time, your behaviors become your habits. What are your habits? What if your habits included praying every day, reading the Word of God, and continuously seeking him every single day…do you think your expectations would be different? One of my favorite quotes is “Expectations are premeditated resentments.”. It's true, especially if you put expectations on humans, instead of God. Humans will always let you down. We need to place our expectations in the right place, pointed towards our heavenly Father. What expectations are you placing on the people in your life, and not only that, but what type of expectations do you feel like others are placing on you. Sometimes the expectations we place on those in our lives, cause us to put expectations on ourselves that may not even exist.
Sometimes our desire to please people and do what is “expected of us” causes us to do things that may be out of character for us, and not line up with your morals.
This has always been a struggle of mine. I’m a people pleaser. I want to make everyone happy, even if that means sacrificing my own happiness. My entire life I’ve had a fear of disappointing people. I feel like I’m growing in this area, and it’s because I’m learning to place my expectations in the Lord, and I’m aligning my purpose with the expectations people place on me. This means sometimes saying no to things, so you can say yes in other areas that bring glory to God. I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed, but sometimes even if you fulfill the expectations people have placed on you, they still aren’t happy or satisfied and keep wanting more from you.
When you have some time, I encourage you to examine the humanity of Jesus. If you look at some of the moments in Jesus’ life, we can see that even Jesus faced pressure, and even Jesus disappointed people. If Jesus would have given into the pressure and tried to please everyone, it would have derailed Him from what His life purpose was.
It’s never too late to lay down the expectations that people have placed on you, and to lay down the expectations that you have placed on others. It’s hard, and something you have to make the decision to do daily, but if you seek the Lord and ask God to help you say “no” to the things that limit our potential and “yes” to what leads us in His calling for our lives, you will be on your way to living a life that brings glory to God.