“Dear friends, DO NOT BE SURPRISED at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something STRANGE were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be OVERJOYED when his glory is revealed.”
1 Peter 4:12-13
We NEED to change our Christian Expectations.
People tend to fall on either one side of the fence or the other; some expect too much yet some expect too little. There are strange folk (and I mean that in the nicest way) who spend their lives jumping from one side of the fence to the other.
Those are the type of people that this verse is talking about.
I have to watch it or I can be one of these strange fence jumpers. I’m sailing along believing God for great things, and then a problem hits and I’m tempted to fall into discouragement and give up hope. In my life I have greatly struggled with getting-ready-for-the-carpet-to-be-pulled-out-from-under-me syndrome. It’s an underlying fear of mine. Until recently, t was an unspoken mindset that I functioned in, or should I say malfunctioned in!
I believe a part of my problem has been my Christian Expectations.
I have expected that problems won’t get me because I do my best to live for God. It’s illogical that I could read the Bible and arrive at this mindset. Illogical yes, but a common Christian expectation!
This verse talks about the danger of becoming like the seed that falls on the rock, which falls away when trouble or persecution comes. We need to live our lives expecting the best yet not be shocked when trouble comes. Trust that God will somehow turn it around for our best, using it for His glory!
[tweetthis]Expect trials and suffering will come as much as you expect God will bring joy afterward.[/tweetthis]
Living with this healthy Christian expectation will allow you to walk in confidence no matter what your circumstances are!
Prayer
Father, today I ask you to help me to increase my Christian expectations to a level that lines up with your Word! Help me not jump the fence when trouble comes, but to stand in faith believing that when hardship hits I can trust You to bring joy back into my life. In Jesus name, Amen
[tweetthis]Changing expectations changes things.[/tweetthis]
- 1 Peter 4:12-13
- Matthew 13:1-43 (the Parable of the Seeds)
- Psalm 30:5
- 2 Corinthians 4:17
This post was first published on November 18, 2013 and then included in my first Soul H2O Devotional book: 40 Thirst Quenching Devotions for Women.
Devotion #2 – Christian Expectations
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YOU CAN OFTEN FIND ME LINKING UP WITH:
MONDAY Monday Meditations – Laura J. Davis,
TUESDAY Cheerleaders of Faith #RARaLinkup – Kelly Balarie,
WEDNESDAY Coffee For Your Heart – Holley Gerth, Word Nerd Wednesdays — Liz Giertz
THURSDAY Heart Encouragement Thursday – Crystal Storms, Chasing Community – Barbara Bradford Ottinger
FRIDAY Dance With Jesus Linkup – Susan B. Mead, Grace and Truth Linkup – Arabah Joy, Counting My Blessings – Deb Wolf, Fresh Market Friday – Crystal Twaddell ELLEN’S PICKS– Ellen Graf-Martin
I have been the same also. I now thank God in the midst of all circumstances because I know that He is there with me and like Joseph He will turn it around. In the past, when I first got separated (1990) I thought that I had done something wrong and cried out to God and did everything that I thought was ‘right’ in order for things to change. They got progressively worse. I can now say with confidence that He has turned it around and He is being glorifed and I am giving Him praise and thanking Him for what I went through. I am still going through things that aren’t nice but I now know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He is there and is in control. You are so right in saying that is a misunderstanding of what His Word says and our expectations don’t line up with His Word. God bless you in your endeavors. Thank you so much for your writings.