expectations

This morning I was reading “The Dark Side of Leadership” and came across a section on the burden of expectations. If you think about it, expectations are one of the greatest sources of stress in our lives.

I feel blessed to be part of a church that gives me the freedom to be who God created me to be. My heart breaks for the many Christian leaders who buckle under the pressure of unrealistic expectations. It only takes me about 5 minutes talking with another pastor about the conditions at their church…for me to get on my knees and thank God for the privilege of serving at a place like Faith Church.

Yet even still, every person has a concept of what the perfect pastor should do and say. And those myriad of expectations can at times feel crushing.

This morning I began to pray:
God, people expect so much of me.

Some people think that I should do a certain list of things, and others want me to do the exact opposite.

Some expect me to be this kind of leader, and others want me to be the exact opposite.

Some want me to share their sets of priorities, and others want me to think the opposite.

God, at times I get tired of trying to be all that people expect of me. RIGHT NOW I just want to know, what do YOU expect of me?

Sometimes when you ask God a question, the answer doesn’t come right away. But as soon as my voice was silent, God immediately dropped an answer into my heart. And it happened in an instant. I heard one word:

Love.

Love is messy. Sometimes I do (or don’t do) things for my kids because I love them. And at times they don’t appreciate or understand that my actions are coming from love. Love is more about a motive than a product of perfection.

But if my motive is love (as a husband, father, pastor, friend, leader, servant)…God says that is enough. I have to believe that.