Expectations

Word of the Day: Expectations

Verse of the Day:

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭2:15-17‬

This is one of my favorite set of verses in the Bible - but over the past year the entire bible has become a series of favorite verses and a favorite book of mine. 

It’s crazy how many things we put before God. Sure we say we don’t - but actually sit down and look at what takes priority over Him in our lives. I do it. We put family first. Animals.  Our hobbies. Work. Ourselves. 

And there is so much more. We are too tired to study His word. Too tired to pray at night. To hungry to pray first. Stay home instead of going to church. Our wants over His Will. 

The world has softened us. We’d rather do this or that. It’s about our comfort not our sacrifice. We tell people all the things we do for God and then we don’t do them. Our outsides don’t match our insides. 

Luke 18:14

If we love the world and the things of the world more than the Father - the love of the Father is not in us. You can not love money, things, people, family, animals - more than you love God. Period.

Some of us value money more than anything else. We put values on everything - what can I get? What’s in it for me?  Some of us are materialistic. Some of us, pride is the issue. Some it’s flesh. 

For me it was all of the above, and more. And that didn’t work out very well. I didn’t put God in my list at all, nevertheless above everything else. And I’ll admit it. And that had to change. It doesn’t matter when it changes. For the thief on the cross, it was just before death. 

Some will struggle with loving God more than family. It doesn’t mean you don’t love your family immensely. It means you love God to the point that you trust Him to lead your life and to follow Him without question. Just as your family trusts you and your role in your family. You should be leading them to the Lord by your example. 

I use to have this saying - no expectations, no disappointments. If you don’t set your expectations high, the disappointments will be low. Think about all the times we placed our efforts, emphasis and expectations on worldly things - only to be let down. Or ourselves. 

In your fellowship with God you shouldn’t have expectations of Him, you should try and live up to His expectations for you. He created us in His image. We should make every effort possible, at all cost, to have God lead our lives and give Him the glory. His Will should be our way. We should humbly live every day the way God wants us to live. Remember, this world will pass. 

Take time today to truly reflect on what you do for the Kingdom. 

I listened somewhere someone ask this question, “what would you be willing to give up to follow Christ?”  

The answer should be easy. 

Exodus 20:6