Realigning Expectations

These boys are expecting these milkshakes to be delicious.

Oh, sweet readers, expectations get us in a heap of trouble in numerous categories. 

Numero uno has to be in relationships!

Day 78 lesson in Awaken by Priscilla Shirer took me back to a recent Bible Study discussion on 
needs vs wants.  God knows what we need, we fluctuate to pouring out to Him what we want.

“Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their minds set on the things of the Spirit.”  Romans 8:5

It takes intentionality to set aside time alone with God,  to takes time to study God’s Word, to find time to be in prayer and it takes a surrendering vulnerability to seek godly guidance to live according to the Spirit.

Priscilla  Shire takes us to the expectations of the Jews on Palm Sunday.  They wanted to be done with this Roman rule and were looking for the Overcomer!  She wrote:

“As long as He was a means to what they wanted, they could overlook a lot of other things they might not understand about Him. The restoration of Israel to her former status of political glory was their aspiration, and they assumed it must be His (Jesus’) too.”

Boy! Oh my how the tide turned.

“They quickly discovered He hadn’t come to soften political relations, but to soften spiritual hearts. He hadn’t come to contend with Roman officials but with religious hypocrites. He hadn’t come to reinstate an earthly kingdom but to install a heavenly one, to rescue hurting sinners from eternal death.  This same crowd who had honored His entry into Jerusalem would shout ‘Crucify Him!’ as they realized He wouldn’t meet their expectations because His agenda was different from theirs. And usually still is...

A disparity often exists between our Savior’s intentions and our expectations, and a close examination nearly always reveals the reason.  We’ve set our expectations according to a set of flesh-based parameters crafted primarily on the basis of our own interests and desires, expecting His priorities to naturally fall into line.  And when they don’t, we can sometimes still find ourselves in the angry crowd, more eager to accuse Him than acclaim Him.

Palm Sunday reminds us of the ease with which we celebrate Jesus, not because He is truth, but because of our erroneous expectation that He will acquiesce to ours.  What’s needed 

of us in a reinvestigation and internal realignment so that our expectations match His promises and priorities.  Because when they do, we find our place at the base of  His cross, our

fleshly desires surrendered, receiving all the deliverance from oppression we could ever want or need."

Shirer poses the question “In what areas are you trying to hold Jesus to commitments He never made?

I’ll share a few that came to mind. I'm sure you can think of many others.

Total physical healing, so we can feel young again!

Trouble free marriages.

Totally obedient children.

Financial security.

World peace!  (If you are a beauty pageant contestant.)

These aren't the places we learn what God wants us to learn.  The deep lessons usually come in the wait

and in the suffering.

"I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait, and in His word do I hope."  Psalm 130:5