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I’ve written on expectations before, but that original entry focused on expecting great things from God. But, back to the basics for a second, just what are expectations? Expectations are when you have a situation, idea, dream, thought, etc. and you expect it to turn out a certain way. For example, I expected the guy I like to accept me, and want me. I also expected him to be perfect, read my mind, and know my every need. Kind of Jesus-level expectations I had there. I’m fairly new to it, but I want to start expecting nothing out of people. Don’t expect perfection, don’t expect them to know and want to know everything about me, because, as I’m still learning, the world does not revolve around me. It’s also not fair to have such high expectations, and put so much pressure on people. People in my own life have set high expectations on me, and I feel that if I don’t make them, they won’t like or love me anymore. And for me, that is too much pressure. I can’t please them, God, and whoever else all at the same time, I have to choose... People’s expectations of me are like what I expected of Lovely, too high for me to reach. People’s expectations put pressure on me, make me crumble, and give me anxiety. They are not something I can attain on my own, because I am human. They want me to reach this, “good enough” level. When you get straight A’s, you’ll be good enough. When you get a 5 year degree, you’ll be good enough. When you have your own house, kids, car, whatever! I will never, ever be good enough -- Not for those types of people. I will never be perfect, like they want me to be. But God, God says I am good enough. He’s proud of me no matter what I do. No matter how many accomplishments I have or not, I still mean the world to Him, and He’s still cheering for me. He doesn’t give up on me, and doesn’t want me to give up, either. He knows me, knows I can do better, and will help me to reach that goal. He doesn’t leave me alone, doesn’t abandon me. He doesn’t say, “go reach perfection on your own” He’s right there with me every step of the way, it’s a new day. He reminds me His mercies are new every morning. What goal can we reach today? How can we help those who are hurting? God’s first and foremost goal is His glory, and like David Platt said, who else would you rather glorify? The God of the Universe, or some random person? Back to expectations. God’s expectations for us are not too high, as in, they’re not impossible for us to reach. (Nothing is impossible with God, but you know what I mean.) They are expectations that are perfectly attainable. Taking a breath a few seconds from now, that’s attainable. God’s goals for us aren’t quite that small necessarily, but we’re that capable of completing them. God’s expectations for us are clear: to become more and more like Him. To let our hearts be changed by His love, so that we may become new, different people, and change the world. Some things might seems small, like a paper clip, or sticky notes, but in their own way, they changed the world. We might feel small. We might think, “my one act of kindness, or me forgiving this rude stranger, or me doing something ‘small’ for the Kingdom couldn’t possibly make a difference.” But it does. That person who you helped will think of you later, and wonder why you stepped out of the way, put everything aside, including yourself, and helped that person out. Jesus said that this is how the world will know that we are His disciples, by loving one another. Loving someone is putting their needs ahead of ours. That’s our goal, that’s what God expects of us. He fills you with His love, and you go out and spread it to the world. Then the person you impacted eventually discovers His love, shares it with someone else, and that goes on and on until the whole Earth is filled. (That is my dream!) But we can’t do that sitting still! God expects us to move, to go out, to be radical. Don’t be the same, don’t blend in. God doesn’t expect us, or at least want us, to try to be like Him and then try to blend in with the world at the same time. God and the world function very differently, and you have to choose which way you’re willing to go. Eternity, or temporary. Never being good enough, or being told by the God who loves you, “you are always enough” . Pleasing others, or pleasing God. (and He isn’t difficult to please!) It’s one or the other, you can’t do both. Lastly, you have the choice between trying to reach expectations you can never truly satisfy from other people, or expectations from a God who knows your limits, talents, abilities, strengths, weaknesses, and wants to turn it into something amazing. Don’t let the unreachable expectations of the world fool you, thinking that if you press yourself hard enough, and give in, you’ll be good enough. Instead, run into the arms of God, who says, “My love, my darling, you are always enough for me, and I am always proud of you. Don’t be afraid to come home.”
You are LOVED!! And thank you for reading! Lots of love, Melody
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Opening up to the book of Esther, I thought I’d be writing about our relationship with the King, as in relating our relationship with her King to us with ours, Jesus. Instead, I found that God wanted to teach me a lesson about respect. As I read the book of Esther, I noticed the theme of respect became more and more noticeable. It began with King Xerxes’ wife, Queen Vashti, disrespecting him. (if a queen disrespects her husband, it will only inspire all the other women to disrespect their husbands) The King’s word was law, so when she disrespected him by not coming to him when he called her, she was banished from his sight. We skip forward a little bit to find that all of the beautiful virgins in the land had been summoned, so that one may be chosen to be the new queen for King Xerxes. Here we meet Esther, who was raised by her Uncle Mordecai, and they were both of Jewish descent. Her obedience and respect for authority led her to be favored by Hegai, who was in charge of preparing the young women to be chosen. He gave her attendants, the best room, beauty treatments, and special food, all because she won his favor by respecting and obeying him completely. As the story goes along, Esther is eventually chosen by the King to be the new queen. However, by order of her Uncle, she doesn’t reveal her background of being a Jew. Directly underneath the King in authority is Haman, and long story short, Mordecai offends him by not bowing down to him, eventually leading to a decree that says that all Jews are to be killed, destroyed, and annihilated. Which, to Haman’s satisfaction, also means that Mordecai is to be killed. The decree is sent out in all different languages in all the regions that King Xerxes rules over. Mordecai also ends up reading the decree, and immediately tears his clothes. Which meant that he was in distress, mourning, anger, etc. With the help of messengers, he and Esther communicate back and forth. Her tells her she must go before the King and request that this decree be repealed. Esther is afraid at first, letting her Uncle know that anyone who comes before the King unannounced and not called upon is killed, unless the King extends his mercy with his golden scepter, saving their life. Mordecai points out, “And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Eventually, Esther agrees, and goes before the King. She doesn’t make her request right away, but invites the King and Haman, to a banquet of her own. The King tells her any request, even up to half of the Kingdom, is hers if she asks for it. However, she does not make her request that night. Instead she tells them to come back again the next night, for another baquet. This might seem like a random diversion, but it turns out that through this the King learns about Mordecai, who a bit before had reported two men that he overheard were wanting to assassinate the King. After finding out about what Mordecai had done for him, the King immediately wanted to honor him. The next day, the King asks Haman what he should do to someone who the King delights to honor? Haman, thinking of himself, describes this grand scene, only to be told that he is to that to Mordecai. Later on, when Esther’s second banquet comes around, she makes her request, explaining that someone is coming after her life, and her people’s lives, and that they seek to destroy, kill, and annihilate all of them. Immediately King Xerxes wants to know who would dare do such a thing, and Esther points at Haman. The King is enraged, and Haman’s fate is sealed. To makes things worse, Haman leaning on the Queen as she lie reclined, in order to beg for his life, is mistaken by King Xerxes as Haman trying to force himself on the Queen. Haman then ends being killed in the same way he intended to kill Mordecai, impaled on a seventy five foot pole. What does this all have to do with respect? I left out most of the dialogue, but because Esther obeyed her Uncle and did exactly what he asked when he asked it, she was able to intercede in her Uncle’s place and save her people. Not only that, but because she chose to set such an example of respect, she inspired other women to respect their husbands, and authority in general. This shows the importance of respect, and obedience. Women are called to respect their husbands, and husbands are called to love their wives. I don’t know if you’ve ever sat back and thought about love, it is a crazy, grueling thing to love someone. Choosing someone else and their needs over you every single day, that’s what love is. And that’s crazy, and it sounds hard, and quite honestly I can be lazy sometimes. But if my husband is called to do that for me, then the least I can do is what I’m called to do, and that is respect him fully. Likewise, God pursues us every single moment out of love for us, He chooses us to do things for His glory, but also keeps in mind what is best for us, and does so. Because of that, the least we can do is respect him. (It is also a great joy to love Him back. And from loving Him we learn how to truly love others, and that is the greatest thing of all.)
You are truly, deeply, and wildly LOVED by God! Look for it, He shows His love to you today and everyday!! Thanks!! Melody |
Melody C.God has given me the natural talent as a writer. I felt Him encourage me in the direction of using my natural skill in writing for Him, instead of investing in skills that were basically going to waste. I have been writing my whole life. I love to answer questions, give advice, and share experiences. I hope you enjoy it, and I pray that God speaks through me and to you. If there are ever any typos, please ignore them. They will be fixed as soon as I notice them. Archives
February 2019
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