Adjust your expectations

Recently, I was awake in the night, my mind churning, and this is what I believe that God spoke to me,

“Adjust your expectations.”

As I mused on it, it has been an important word for me and I hope it may help you too.

Firstly, I was reminded, “Adjust your expectations of yourself - they swing between being far too high because you forget that you are dust and being far too low because you forget that you are a child of the King, bearing the presence of Jesus. Don’t be perfectionist - it cripples creativity, strangles relationship and devours joy. Remember mercy to yourself and others; there is an unending stream from the heart of Christ.

Secondly, “Adjust your expectations of life.” Jesus warned us, “In this world, you will have trouble.” Today, I was supposed to go out for a picnic but instead there is a hailstorm predicted. Storms happen. I remember arriving in Hong Kong decades ago to hear that a cyclone was coming. We cleared the decks and fastened the shutters. We have to be storm-ready. The storm of Covid looks set to pass on from the UK at least but there are stormy days ahead. In this world, you will have trouble.

But Jesus didn’t end there! He told us there was trouble ahead but finished, “Take heart, I have overcome the world!” Too often, we set too low a bar from trouble and too low a bar for his blessing. We need to raise both bars. I have preached that in many places but still need the reminder.

I was walking with a friend last week who in her eighties. The last weeks of lockdown have been hard for her and she told me that she had become quite negative. She always challenged me by how she runs to God when things are tough - she told him what what a terrible day she had just had. The Lord said to her, “How did you wake up?” She immediately remembered how she had woken up expecting nothing of him, expecting a miserable day. The next day, she began her day by choosing an expectant heart, lifting her eyes to God, saying, “This is your day, you made it, I will rejoice and be glad in it.” And God broke in and lifted her heart.

Most important of all is the challenge to adjust our expectations of God. As you look ahead to your day, your week, your year, are you expecting God to break in? We know the one who can do more than all we ask or imagine. I have seen God break in and change lives in extraordinary ways and I am longing for more. Let’s adjust our expectations.