April 19th - Lowered Expectations

 The story...

Much of my life was worked out as an idealist.  "It's not good the way things are and they should be different."  My "idealistic" ideas seemed virtuous; yet, with limited understanding didn't work themselves out well in the light of day.  There seemed to be more negative outcomes than positive - I know that I wasn't comfortable serving within some board-member roles.  My "idealistic" presence may've hindered God's hand in the development of the good church that might've better met people's needs as they actually were.

There're reasons for why things are the way they are.  The status quo is meeting needs in ways that we aren't aware of or maybe even able to understand.  Our ways are not God's ways and our thoughts are not His thoughts.  It seems, He has plans that require building some up, slowly teaching some, "pruning" some down, calling some to faith, nudging that first step, sequencing events for a great work, or even generating dissatisfaction so people choose to move out in different directions.

Are you ready to pack up and move on?

The only church in town wouldn't need to clarify and magnify their distinctive differences as compared to the other church alternatives.  They'd know the God-revealed truth that all people are living under a sin curse from birth.  That bent nature (iniquity) separates all people from our most holy God and Creator.  God performed the great sacrificial work on our behalf - nothing required from us but faith in what Christ alone has already done for us.  Faith in the reality that we're redeemed as new creatures - redeemed and adopted into God's family in Christ.  Wow!

Just for today...

"I've learned that I have the ability to adjust my expectations so that I no longer set myself up for constant disappointment."  Courage to Change (p. 110)

"When I first stopped trying to fix other people, I turned my attention to 'curing myself'."  Hope for Today (p. 110)

Try a new translation if your mind and heart don't own Ephesians chapter 2.  Please don't quit until you've grasped these wonderful truths about who we are in Christ; then, hold on! 

"Inklings of truth; Taught as reality - Disillusion ears; Rain on hope."   Am I a Poet?