OUTCRY: God’s Heart For Your ChurchSample

Expectations

My wife says a phrase that she learned in a parenting class all the time. It’s simple, but life-changing. Expectations kill relationships.

The principle is this, if you go into a store with your 2-year-old and expect that they won’t see a toy they want and throw a massive tantrum in the middle of the store when the aforementioned toy is not purchased, you may find yourself in trouble! You will have no plan on how to deal with it because your unrealistic expectation caused you to not have a strategy on how to deal with it before hand! It’s a two-year-old! Tantrums are their specialty. Expect it! Plan for it!

It’s the same in the local church. If we walk into relationships with an unhealthy expectation, and then that expectation is dashed, we will simply dump the relationship and try to find another one to measure up. No church is as perfect as you imagine it is. No church.

Unrealistic expectations lead to a church where the people aren't committed and the leader is constantly worn out and insecure. The power of the local church is it’s diversity. It is in the beautiful and messy that we find true connection and commitment to one another. Unrealistic expectations kill community.

Counting the cost with Jesus is not just in following him, but with joining his body. Committing to working with the imperfect carriers of a perfect grace. This commitment must be counted before you can build. 

Prayer: Help me to value commitment to my church. Not having unrealistic expectations that causes me to hold everyone around me at arms-length. Help me to see my church and my leaders the way that you do. Amen.