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Encourage Someone Else By Sharing!

Like most high school graduates, I felt extremely hopeful for the next chapter of my life. With this hopefulness came many expectations.  

My mother is a successful businesswoman. I did not fancy college at first, therefore I thought it would only make sense to follow in her footsteps. My thought pattern suggested this worked for her; of course, it should work for me. 

My life’s checklist consisted of opening a business, potentially marrying, having some kids, and BOOM, just like that, life would be perfect.  

All of these expectations sound perfectly harmless, but they were not.

While writing I’m 25, Now What? the Lord gave me a vision of what building expectations looked like. 

I saw seeds being planted on a heart, and those seeds began to produce sprouts on that heart.  In this, the Lord was saying, 

“The seeds of expectations that you plant on your heart will grow and form your reality.  Be sure that those seeds are from me.”  

Whoa! Immediately I knew I needed to write about filtering our hearts from the wrong expectations.  In other words, those that were not expectations from God. The wrong expectation as a believer can suck the joy right out of our lives.

Ask yourself, “Are my expectations from God?” 

Think about it… 

  • Why do you expect to be married by a certain age? Did that come from God?
  • Why do you believe that you need to get a degree?  Did that come from God?
  • Why do you expect to be a millionaire by 30? Did that come from God?

The truth is, there are many ways the wrong expectations can enter your life.

Comparison 

Be careful. Comparing your life to those around you can plant seeds of the wrong expectations on your heart.  

Social media has amped up the comparison game to another level. Comparison easily slips into our minds and hearts as we observe the “perfect” life and profiles on display. 

Picture it….month after month as you scroll through social media, you see friends getting married, others having babies, and others seem to be in an exotic location weekly.

You, on the other hand, are scraping to buy donuts. 

After spending enough time on Fakebook Facebook, you now form the expectation that your life should look like somebody else’s life.

Here is what many persons will not tell you, but I will.  Your life’s journey is unique to you. God’s plan for your life is unique to you.  

The expectations you place on your life should never be built on how someone else’s life looks.  

As the young people would say, “Slay in your own lane, boo!”

Experiences

Your experiences can also birth the wrong expectations. These experiences may include:

  • Words that were spoken over your life 
  • What you have witnessed.
  • What you have listened to or watched. 

For instance, your mother may have told you that you would be just like your dad.  You may have grown up seeing the destruction in your family and assumed that is also how your future will look. 

If you were to backtrack carefully, you would more than likely see many seeds of expectation were planted on your heart a long time ago.  

Like when you were watching the Little Mermaid, Pocahontas, Mulan, and how can I forget the classic, Cinderella. 

Ok, clearly I was a Disney kid.  

While all of these love stories are beautiful, it’s a CARTOON! A. CARTOON.

It’s time to sit at the feet of Jesus.

You can start by getting a good Bible and journal to read and write what you may be feeling. Take time to pray and ask God to show you how the wrong expectations slipped into your heart and life. Invite God to remove those that are not expectations from Him. 

Self-Imposed Deadlines

This one is hugeeee! 

Self-imposed deadlines are many times a set up for disaster. Often, these self-imposed deadlines will come masked as “goals”. Don’t get me wrong. I am all for Christians planning for the future. 

However, every plan or goal should be centered around God’s plan for YOUR life. Otherwise, those goals can be set up for building those that are not expectations from God. 

There are countless persons that become discouraged by not completing self-imposed deadlines that were never God’s plan for them.

  • Marrying by 30 may not be in the plan.
  • Becoming a boss chick by 25 may not be in the plan.
  • Owning a home by 20 may not be in the plan.

I am not trying to discourage you, but rather give you some insight that can help you to build goals with God as the foundation.

Anything in your life that does not include God ultimately leads to disaster. 

This blog is getting lengthy, but there is way more I can say about expectations.  Check out I’m 25, Now What to get the full scoop. 

In Conclusion… 

I want you to release those boundaries and time restraints that God did not orchestrate for your life.  I want you to let go of that feeling that you are lagging or failing at this “adulting” thing. 

Perhaps, you do not have the degree, the business, the marriage, just yet. You may not fully understand and know what your talent is from God. 

What you do have is access to God, and quite frankly, that’s all that you need to figure it all out. God’s plan for your life is much more fulfilling and rewarding than just achieving “milestones” to post online.

Am I saying not to desire good things? Of course not! Again, I am saying to ensure that your desires are from God and wait on His instructions.  

I challenge you to seek God about your future.  Not Instagram, not your parents, not your BFF, but ask God to reveal your purpose.  Then as God releases those promises, build your expectations based on God’s promises for your life.

As you release and allow God to take control of your life, He will guide you while planting new expectations in your heart.  

He will show you that His plans are far better than any plan that you could ever have for your life.  

After all, He created you. Unique you, Beautiful you, Authentic you. 

Now walk and dance to the beat of your drum while God sets the stage.

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.

– Proverbs 19:21

Until next time…

Be strong, Be Courageous, Serve God Wholeheartedly.

Gilberta Thompson