Have you ever felt that there is a huge gap between your performance and the expectations others have for you? At home, that huge gap can cause some tension and domestic discussions. At work, when your performance doesn't measure up to the employer's expectations - yikes! Trouble is in the works. Gently, at first, you may be told: "Shape up or ship out." But after the second and third visit to your manager's office things become very serious. In fact, that's when you need to start getting serious about finding another job.
Unfortunately, sometimes parents are not specific about their expectations and misunderstandings occur. It also happens on the job as well. The employer has 'assumed' that you know exactly what she expects of you and you only find out there is a big problem when you happen to cross a boundary she had established but never communicated to you. That's awkward and miserable.
The children of Israel had no excuse. Moses communicated God's expectations for His people in very crystal clear words.
"And now, Israel,
what does the LORD your God require of you,
but to fear the LORD your God,
to walk in all His ways and to love Him,
to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes.for your good?
Deuteronomy 10:12-13
God's expectations for His people today are no different. He expects the same thing from me today, tomorrow and for the rest of my Christian journey until the curtain closes on my life on the planet. When the Lord Jesus said: "Follow Me," what do you think He meant? Was it something merely physical and geographical that could be measured by kilometres per day? Or did He have something much more in mind?
The Lord Jesus said He always did the things that pleased his Father. (John 8:29) The Perfect example. But that's what God expects me to do each day as well; it's all about pleasing HIM - not pleasing myself. That's the Christian's goal - to please Him in every single thing we do. Paul told Titus that the saved slaves of his day should, in every conceivable and possible way, conduct themselves to ensure that they are "adorning the doctrine of God our Saviour." Every single thing we do we should be able to do it with God's approval and blessing upon it and pleasure over it. Again Paul wrote: "Whatever you do, do it heartily, as for the Lord." Colossians 3:23. Christ is to have first place in everything in our individual lives - pre-eminence in our lives and in the church and in creation. (Colossians 1:18)
God's expectations for my life are clear. Are they clear for your life as well? The idea you are flirting with, the decision you are thinking about making, the choice you are weighing up or the life (public or secret) you are living - is it in sync with God's expectations for you?
Walk carefully and closely with the Lord today,
Warmly in Christ
Peter Ramsay
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