The expectation wheel can catch me in the daily tasks. The making of breakfast and how my child should behave. Yesterday I discovered expectation can keep me from joy as I go about my day. It keeps me from freely seeing God, His love, and the people around me.
Expectation also robs me of seeing my true value, my value in Christ. As I reflect and ponder this week, God is revealing another tendency in me. The failure and disappointment that comes into my heart due to the inability to meet my expectations.
I fall into a failure and pity trap when I don’t meet the expectations I make for myself. In this trap I feel unworthy, not valuable, and unloved. These feelings and emotions are a heavy weight…keeping me from truth. Unchecked, unrealistic expectations lead to lies, lies that Satan so wants me,us to believe.
Lies separate me from truth, from God. I am not meant to be trapped here. Christ paid the price for my freedom. Often I can reject and ignore this freedom without knowing what I am doing. Seeking something I think is good. Do I have something better to offer myself then the Truth, then Christ? Are my expectations gaining me something? Do I find hope, peace, love, and truth in my expectations?
I am finding expectations leave me empty…wanting. Leave my heart and soul unsatisfied.
This morning I woke up hungrier than normal. I was ready to bite into something, anything. My husband was having quiet time and my baby would need to be nursed soon so I grabbed the half of a banana from yesterday. Sitting on the bed, banana in one hand and the Bible in the other. I continued to read. The banana was gone in just a few bites. I couldn’t help but notice my insides were screaming at me. Even though I had just eaten something it wasn’t enough. It actually made the hunger pangs worse. I felt more empty. I wanted more! I was unsatisfied.
Eating that half of a banana this morning did to my stomach as unmet expectation does to my soul. More empty. Wanting. Unsatisfied.
When I seek Christ first, what He has for me, I am filled. In this filling is love and truth. In Christ’s plan I am valuable. So much so that He died for me. I was worth dying for. That is LOVE!
Do you feel unsatisfied? Is the half of banana leaving you empty and wanting?
You are valuable! You are precious! Christ illuminates that truth.
The truth that will set us free from our expectation traps. The truth that will fully fill, satisfy.
Romans 5:8 But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ESV
Luke 4:18 & 19 The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the LORD’S favor has come. NLT
