Expectations
Expectations can be dangerous things when left unspoken or misplaced. They shape how we see others — and how we respond when they don’t meet the picture we had in our heads.
We have expectations of parents, friends, coworkers, even brothers in Christ. When they don’t meet those expectations, disappointment sets in. But the truth is, most of the time, those expectations were never discussed.
You lend a car to a friend — one man expects it returned full of gas, another expects it back the way it was given. Neither is wrong. The problem comes when we assume others see things the same way we do. What’s left unspoken becomes misunderstood, and misunderstanding turns to hurt.
The same happens at work. Leadership expects you to push harder, sell more, or produce better numbers. But you might just be working to provide for your family — not to build someone else’s wealth. The conflict isn’t always in effort; it’s in expectation.
And when it comes to God, this truth runs even deeper. We sometimes treat Him like a genie — expecting Him to move the way we want, when we want. We pray for healing, but when God heals by bringing someone home to heaven, we call it unanswered. We pray for change, but when He changes us instead of the situation, we call it unfair.
The Word reminds us in Isaiah 55:8–9 (CJB):
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways,” says Adonai.
“As high as the sky is above the earth are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”
When we serve, when we give, when we love — we must do so without expectation. Not for thanks, not for recognition, not for what we’ll get in return. But simply because that’s what Christ did for us. He gave, knowing many would never say “thank you.” He loved, knowing many would reject Him.
So today, check your expectations — of others, of yourself, and of God. Because peace doesn’t come when everyone meets your expectations; it comes when you surrender them to Him.
-Rev Carlos Figueroa
