It’s time to start the third week of the study. We will be talking about chapter two – Mental Transparency and Expectations.
This chapter, for me, was about contentment versus discontentment. My expectations in life, whether I thought they were being met or not, truly affected my contentment and led me to look at what my real expectations were. After I identified what I expected, I then had to assess whether those expectations were valid or even possible. In my life, I have found that contentment equals peace with God’s will and discontentment means I’m not trusting God knows or wants what’s best for me.
During discontentment, I feel I can do better, and during contentment, I understand God can do better.
I cannot truly express feelings and or situations in my life until I understand how I feel about them. This is why it’s important to go through your life story and identify the situations in which you were content and discontent. Look at why you felt discontentment. Were your expectations based on your personal desires? Were you out of God’s will? Were you doing good but not the best?
I’ve noticed trends in my life, too, of being discontent. We all have our weak times and moments. Know these weaknesses and be prepared to fight them with scriptures so you will be able to adjust your expectations properly.
May God do a reworking in your heart, mind, and soul this week. I pray He will show you areas of your life that are holding you back. I pray you will allow your heart to open up to His leading. Love ya girls. I’m praying for you.
Don’t forget: questions will be posted in the comment section under this post for us to communicate and talk with each other.
Here’s your assignment for the week:
- Watch the video below.
- Answer the questions in the comments section below. This is where we will communicate and grow together as a community.
- Return a couple of hours later to see what other comments were left and feel free to comment to others’ comments.
- Tell your friends to join you on this journey.
- Read chapter 3 and answer the questions at the end of the chapter.
- Pray. Pray that God will open your eyes to ways you can improve. Pray for others who are doing this study that God would work in their lives. Pray for personal revival in the hearts of all Christians and those who don’t know Jesus as their personal Savior.
© 2016 Susan M. Sims
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Question #1 – Think about 3 expectations you have of your life. Are these expectations being met currently, or do you feel unfulfilled?
I wouldn’t say I feel unfulfilled! I have a wonderful husband and two wonderful daughters and two Godly son-in-law’s and three precious grandchildren +2 on the way! I have a good job that I am good at! And I think I’m a good pastor’s wife! However, my life has not turned out the way I thought it would & there are things about this season of my life that I am not happy about!
Allow yourself to grieve over life not turning out how you planned. Nothing wrong with that! Talk to God. Pray a prayer like David of, “I feel sad, I struggle, but, O Lord, You are great, You have supplied all my needs”. It has a way of refocusing upon Who God is and He will provide in this time of your life, as He has in other seasons of your life.
In some ways there are things I am happy about and others still struggling with. I feel productive and being used by God in some
Aspects of my life but sadly lacking or hoping in someway to
reflect Him more,
Particularly At home.
Debbie, I think the fact you are aware you feel you are lacking shows your sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. Continue to pray that God will soften your heart to know what He desires you to do next. You don’t have to solve it all at once…just one step at a time. Be patient with yourself.
Question #2 – How does it make you feel when you think about expectations of your life that didn’t happen? Relieved? Bitter? Angry? Have you been able to let go of the expectations?
It makes me sad! It makes me sad that my daughters live so far away (VA & HI) & that I don’t get to see them & their families very often! It makes me sad that my husband & I are getting older! My husband has health issues that are just part of the aging process! It’s also scary to think about retirement in a few years (ie: where will we live, how will we manage, etc.) Pastors don’t get much in retirement benefits & we live in a parsonage, so we don’t even own our own home! But maybe Jesus will come back before then & it won’t be a problem! Lol!
It’s always different when you don’t have your family around all the time. I get that. Continue to pray, as I’m sure you already have been doing, that God will give you and your husband the insight you need as you near retirement. He will provide. Ask for God to give you the strength to make it through this season. We are never too old to need God’s strength and refreshing presence in our lives. Continue to lean on Him.
Life is certainly never dull and full of surprises. I am thankful for health, home and employment but sometimes would
Like less struggling financially and our home in better shape. I cont to pray and hope that our family will all love and serve
Christ and for peace
Question #3 – Do you feel God has expectations for your life? If so, how do you feel about God’s expectations?
There is a scripture that says something like, “to those who are given much, much is expected!” So, yes, God does have expectations & I hope I’ve fulfilled His expectations of me! But then, when I think of missionaries & people who give everything to serve the Lord, I definietly do not measure up!
Funny you mentioned the missionary thing. I was just talking with one of my daughters a few weeks ago that God will never call you to do anything you don’t enjoy. Missionaries have a sense of adventure and a desire to help those in need. They have been given the gifts and talents needed to fulfill all God desires from them. Likewise, you are staying behind and yet have to give up your daughters who are far away. You have been given an equally difficult task of giving them up, again, to God’s work and desires. You always measure up as long as you are fulfilling God’s desire for your life. Stay strong.
God will always have expectations and a plan for my life. It is up to me to listen and follow where he leads or remain where I am and serve there. The older I get, the more
I realize each phase/chapter may be a completely different role or task for me to learn and do. No phase of life is less or more important but crucial to follow where and what God wants to teach and use me/us in every aspect of life
Yes, I remember a particular time when I prayed for God to answer my prayer for a certain need. He did and six months later I felt He was asking me to do something differently. I struggled with letting go to this “answered prayer” but realized I was holding a bit too tightly and I no longer needed that one thing in my life. It had now become a hinderance now that God wanted me to do something else.
Question #4 – Is it easy for you to trust God with your life? What makes it hard or easy for you to trust Him?
I think it’s somewhat easy to trust God! That’s the way I was raised! But I still want to be in control too! Giving up total control is hard!
I like to plan things out…a form of control, I know. I get frustrated when plans don’t turn out as I expected. If I can see that I’m frustrated at my expectations not being met, it’s easier for me to realize I’m not necessarily frustrated with God or out of His will. It’s just a readjustment on my part that needs to happen.
In some ways it is easy to trust and wait on God to show me where and how He leads. Other times it is very difficult and not try to “help God out” with my ideas on how to fix a situation rather than wait
Question #5 – As in the blood sugar illustration, what waste product do you have that you need to rid yourself of today? This year? And, how do you plan to do this?
Hmmmm! I’m not sure! But personal question….are you a type 1 or type 2? My daughter in Hawaii is a type 1! She is 7 months pregnant with her first child! So far she’s doing pretty good! But it’s scary to have her do far away & not be there to help! That’s where trusting God comes in for me because I have no control over the situation!
I am type 1. I wasn’t that way until my third pregnancy when everything got a little scary. About 9 months later my body just gave out and I was on insulin. I really struggled after that diagnosis because I had to grieve that part of my life where I had good health and no concerns. I feel, at times, I have no control over my own health and life. Spoiler alert…this is what chapter 3 is about…our physical health and expectations…it was the hardest chapter for me to write because I realized how many times I said I trusted God and yet my actions of worry, doubt, and resentment over bad health didn’t prove my words of trust.
My daughter was diagnosed with T1D when she was 10 years old! It was definitely a huge shock & lifestyle change for our while family but it forced us to be more healthy in our food choices & eating less carbs & processed sugar items! She got the pump when she was 18 & heading off to college! That made a big difference in her ability to better control her diabetes! She is an RN & worked at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital in the Eskin Clinic in pediatric diabetic research until she moved to HI last October! Is that where you take your son? If so, you might have met her! ? We were just there visiting her & her husband two weeks ago. For the first time in her life, she told me she was glad she had diabetes because she said she wouldn’t be who she is or done the things she’s done & given the opportunities to help people like she has if she wasn’t a diabetic! God is using her & you to minister to others through your experiences! ?
poison of being hurt by coworkers I still work with and cont to be reminded to give my attitude to Christ, praying that He will use me in that situation. Needing a forgiving spirit that tends to disappear whenever I am reminded of or with an individual who cont to be unkind, even to other coworkers
I met your daughter at my church. I’ve put the connection together now. We were pump buddies! 🙂 My experiences with my diabetes, and multiple other issues they thought I had before, as well as my son’s health concerns have definitely made me into the person I am today. I now can enjoy the journey and truly love encouraging others who are still in the struggling phase. On a personal note, I love your daughter and am so glad you were able to visit them!
Awwww! Thanks! She is a sweetheart! I miss her so much!
Debbie, Priscilla Shirer had a great thought in her book, The Armor of God. She mentions we need to pray against the real enemy: Satan. Many times we pray for a person and their attitude when we really need to pray that Satan would no longer have a hold on someone’s heart and/or mind. This has been so eye-opening in my prayers because I’m constantly praying against Satan in people’s lives and praying for God’s love to be shown to those very same people. It’s much easier to love people when I realize they are simply being deceived by Satan’s tactics. My frustrations have switched from people and to Satan.
Question #6 – Sometimes it’s easier for others to see what God’s expectations are for your life. Has someone ever shared with you what they perceived to be God’s expectations, or have you ever shared with someone what you felt God’s expectations were for them? How did this experience help or hurt you?
Usually it helps motivate me unless it is an unrealistic expectation!
Agreed. 🙂
Some have shared expectations to me and if I share expectations to others I try to remind them of their potential through Christ but no specifically what their job/role should be