The Paradox of Expectations

We must learn to live in the paradox that is releasing our expectations and raising our expectations.

We are live in a world of OR. You’re either this political party OR that one. You live this type of lifestyle of OR that one. You dress in this style OR that one. You work in this industry OR that one. Society tries to define things according to black and white colors but lately, I’m becoming convinced that life is more like the color grey than it is black or white.

If we’re being real here, I often have a hard time believing for certain things because of the dissapointments that I’ve experienced in my past. There are have certain dreams and expectations that I had for my life which did not lined up with my reality. I know I’m supposed to be believe God for great things and I know He has great plans for my future, but how do I wrestle with the tension found in the expectation gap? What do you do when your experience doesn’t meet your expectation?

Today in my prayer time, I felt the Lord say to my heart, “Carla, you need to learn how to release your expectations to me while raising your expectations in Me.” This is a paradoxical place to live, but it’s the best place to live. When you submit your plans to the Lord, while being secure in His ability to do exceedingly abundantly beyond what you can think, ask, or imagine (Ephesians 3:20), that’s when true living begins. You can live with surrendered expectations and elevated anticipation for what God is going to do. It’s not an either OR situation.

I challenge you to ask yourself - what expectations do I need to surrender to the Lord and in what areas of my life do I need to raise my expectations in Him?

“Those who hope in me will not be disappointed.”

Isaiah 49:23

Xo,

Carla