Expectations

Expectations- a strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future;
                        a belief that someone will or should achieve something.

My definition- seeing potential to succeed with continuing work; can bring disappointment; can                           easily get out of hand; need to be God- centered, not self-centered; realistic.


Genetically, we all have expectations. I have three categories of expectations: for ourselves, others have for us, and we have for others.

We have expectations for our lives, for who we want to be, and what we want to accomplish. If they are centered around God's will for us, these types of expectations are good. They keep us accountable with ourselves. 

The expectations that get us in trouble are the ones we have for others and the ones others have for us. Everyone has their own idea for their life and 99.7% of the time, we do not know what it is. Having expectations for how someone should live, how they should act, and who they should be just does not make any sense. But, we all still do it (do not forget, we are all works-in-progress). We can make expectations for anyone: friends, family, classmates, anyone. But with people we have a personal relationship with, it can cause tension and break the relationship. They could feel as if we were pushing them to be something they are not. Which, probably, is not our goal. Some expectations are not harmful, but helpful. This is where we need to know the other person. We need to stop assuming that we know what is best for everyone and that we know the future. Because, spoiler alert, WE DO NOT. That is God's job, not yours. Let Him handle it; He has since the beginning of time. 

But, the flip side of that is other people having expectations for us. In my life, I see this through parents, other family members, teachers, mentors, friends, classmates, church members, and anyone else. (Remember, not all expectations are harmful; some are helpful.) But, there is constant pressure of "Am I doing what _____ would want me to?" or "I think ____ would want me to be like more _____." Other people are setting standards of who we should be in life. Those standards are insanely high too. A few examples from teenage-christian-girl world: I have to get a 36 on my ACT to go to college and be successful. I need to set aside time everyday to read my bible and pray because that is what they said I should do. I need to fix my appearance, remember "always classy, never trashy." The list goes on and on. The real kicker, though, is we pay so much attention to the expectations set by others, we are not focusing on the most important ones set by God. We are truly setting ourselves up for failure, if we keep doing this. Others have unrealistic expectations for us and our lives and we end up feeling like an immense disappointment when we fail to live up to them. But in Colossians 2:10, it says,"and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority." We do not need to worry about what everyone else thinks and expects from us because in Him, we are made whole. He sees us for who we are and He knows our future; and He, The Almighty Ruler, loves us. In Habbakuk 1:5, it says, "Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe even if told." If we trust in His Will for our lives, instead following someone else's or our own path, we will be in awe of His work.  If we look to Him for guidance and focus on His expectations for us, we will be walking on His straight and narrow path, one step at a time. 

About Me

Before I dive into the blogosphere, I want you to know something. I am writing this blog mainly for myself. If people read my posts and get something from it, that is fantastic. But right now, in this season of my life, I have realized I like words and my thoughts. So, I will do my best to write them with as few grammar mistakes as possible. But, about me... Hmmmm... I really do not like talking about myself, so that can be a fact right? I have an amazing family that is so loving, encouraging, and up lifting. Also, they are pretty hilarious. Being the youngest, I have always had four strong examples to follow with them around. My friends are caring and kind. They, also, keep the laughter going all the time. They are always willing to be there for me, no matter what the circumstances are. I have the cutest, dumbest puppy. I have been provided a great education with fantastic teachers (mostly). I have an eclectic taste of music, but to me, it is simply perfect. Music is an instant 'get away' for me. I have an addiction to coffee. There, I finally admitted it. Any size, type, temperature, flavor, brand, I will drink it with a smile on my face. Lastly, the MOST important thing about me, I am not perfect. I am not even good. But, I have a Savior who sees all my flaws and short comings and chooses to love me anyway.  He loves his children to the point that He would give His life to set us free forever. Because of this, my only purpose in life is to live for Him. Because of this, I will strive everyday to become more and more like Him. Because of this, I am able to have hope in Him. I named this blog "One Step at a Time" while looking at Proverbs 4:27, which says "Avoid evil and walk straight ahead. Do not go ONE STEP off the right way." If you are constantly watching where your feet are going and making sure each step in on track and complete, how can you stumble? I believe these five words are a perfect reminder of the bigger picture, the "right way" of living for Him. So, remember, take life one step at a time.