EDITOR’S NOTE: We are pleased to announce that this devotional will soon be available in audio version as Crosswalk Devotional Podcast! Stay tuned for updates…
Do you have unfair expectations?
by Debbie Holloway
“Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Am I not the Lord? » (Exodus 4:11)
Last week, one of the ladies in my office brought veggie burgers to hand out during lunch break. He is sometimes sent free products or games through a specific company in exchange for spreading them and sending photos of his friends and colleagues enjoying the free product. I’ve never had a veggie burger, but I thought to myself: Hey, I won’t say no to a free meal!
Several people showed up to the break room to try the burgers, but everyone was a little worried about actually eat their. I went first, my expectations low and my mind open.
It was not bad! I actually found it tasty and would eat it again. Later I laughed to myself, thinking: there is no way my husband would like this. You see, my husband is a very big fan of a good hamburger. And, while the veggie burger is tasty in my opinion, it doesn’t really taste like a beef burger. It had its own unique flavor. But it would be difficult to give my husband something that looks like a hamburger, then tell him it doesn’t taste like a hamburger. Basically, disappointment would inevitably happen.
And that made me think even further. Isn’t this an epidemic that the human species has most of the time? We have such specific expectations. We hear a movie cited and praised to death, that set our expectations sky high, and the moment we watch it, we can no longer enjoy it because it doesn’t live up to the hype. However, the expectations we unconsciously place on our spiritual life or our relationship with Christ.
“I’m supposed to feel ____ when I worship…right? But I don’t feel it. There must be something wrong with me. “
“Why don’t I hear God’s voice when I pray? Abraham did it. Moses did it. Does God hear me?
“My friend _____ speaks in tongues. I have never done that. Does this mean I am not filled with spirit? “
But Scripture tells us that every human being is created unique, in the image of God, and that you have a different role to play in the body of Christ than your neighbor does.
“NOW, the body is not composed of one part but of several. If the foot said: “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for this reason cease to be part of the body… If the whole body were an eye, what would be the meaning of the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact, God arranged the parts of the body, each of them, exactly as he wanted them to be” (1 Corinthians 12:14-18).
Intersection of faith and life: The next time you allow your expectations to deflate, remember that these expectations rob us of joy in the here-NOW. To be present! Be grateful! Remember that your experiences and role in the church should be unique and should not be compared to those of others.
Further reading
1 Corinthians 12
The comparison trap
How can I deal with unrealistic expectations?
Check out some fantastic resources at Faith, FamilyAnd Fun has Crosswalk.com!
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