{"id":30263,"title":"Expectations vs. Requirements - the BELIEVE Blog","description":"So, how should we think of ourselves then? What are God\u2019s expectations of us? It\u2019s simple. God has zero expectations of us. But He does have requirements. Yes, that sounds like religion but these requirements do not change how God sees us or how He acts in our lives. These requirements are for our benefit and for the success of furthering His Kingdom.","content":"<blockquote><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/i3mlhbitvsv62cxz63lfbaaf9fsowltog4yof2rq9acvxycu.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&amp;h=auto\" alt=\"i3mlhbitvsv62cxz63lfbaaf9fsowltog4yof2rq9acvxycu.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&amp;h=auto\" \/><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">\u201c\u2026<\/span><span style=\"font-family:Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">and what doth the LORD require of thee,<\/span><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\"> but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.\u201d Micah 6:8<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote><p><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">Elijah\u2019s story is not all that long in terms of how much space it takes up in our Bibles but it is so rich with lessons that we can learn. <\/span><strong><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">Lessons that can and should change your life<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\"> like it did mine.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">I was praying about a new blog post while on the bus this morning and simply asked, \u201cWhat should I write, Lord?\u201d <\/span><strong><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">Within a minute, two things happened<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">. First, I heard the word \u201ccomparisons\u201d in my Spirit and the words of Elijah, \u201cI am not better than my fathers.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">Now, I know that I am preaching to myself here because I am continuously guilty of <\/span><strong><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">the<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\"> <\/span><strong><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">two mistakes that go hand in hand<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">:<\/span><\/p><ul><li><p><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">Making comparisons of myself to others<\/span><\/p><\/li><li><p><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">Placing expectations on myself<\/span><\/p><p><\/p><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">Of course, at the time, neither of these two mistakes seem wrong but when put against the Word of God, they sure are. But why?<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">Because <\/span><strong><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">they are not <\/span><em><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">God\u2019s<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\"> comparisons or expectations<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">Look at the story of Elijah. In 1 Kings 19:4 it says that he went a day\u2019s journey into the wilderness and sat down under a juniper. Then he hopes to die saying, <\/span><em><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">\u201cIt is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">That last line contains perhaps t<\/span><strong><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">he most important words that Elijah ever spoke<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">. For us as readers centuries later, that is. Especially when Jesus Himself said in Luke 6:45, <\/span><em><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">\u201c...for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">Elijah has come to the end of his rope and, as God desires, the prophet at last confesses the truth of his insecurity and misguided motivation.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">This famous prophet kept comparing himself to the prophets and judges that had gone before him and expected to do greater than they did. Whenever he slipped up, made a mistake, etc, he would beat himself up. <\/span><strong><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">The standard that <\/span><em><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">he<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\"> was setting was not being reached<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">Consistently measuring ourselves against others is not only dangerous by reason of only ever leading to frustration and depression, it is also <\/span><strong><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">disobedience to Scripture<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">Paul tell us in Romans 12:3 <\/span><em><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">\u201cFor I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than ought to think\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">So, how should we think of ourselves then? What are God\u2019s expectations of us?<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">It\u2019s simple. <\/span><strong><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">God has zero expectations of us<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">. But He does have requirements.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">Yes, that sounds like religion but these requirements do not change how God sees us or how He acts in our lives. <\/span><strong><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">These requirements are for our benefit<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\"> and for the success of furthering His Kingdom.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">And what does God require? Micah 6:8, <\/span><em><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">\u201c\u2026but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">It\u2019s a requirement but not an expectation. Combine this with the grace that Paul teaches through the first half of Romans and we can experience a profound peace and surety that <\/span><strong><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">failure has little to no power in the life of a believer<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">So, don\u2019t wait until you\u2019re so tired of life that you end up making admission to the Lord. <\/span><strong><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">Your self-expectations are no mystery to Him, of course<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">! Rather, pray with me right now using the words of Psalm 139:23-24, <\/span><em><span style=\"font-family:Arial, sans-serif;\">\u201cSearch me, O God and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family:Arial;\">Jacob Shepherd<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family:Arial;\">CEO &amp; Co-Founder | Revival<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family:Arial;\">:::::::::::::::::<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family:Arial;\">Want to receive our <\/span><strong><span style=\"font-family:Arial;\">weekly blog posts<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family:Arial;\"> and be notified about our <\/span><strong><span style=\"font-family:Arial;\">new designs<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family:Arial;\"> and <\/span><strong><span style=\"font-family:Arial;\">sales<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family:Arial;\">? 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You just don\u2019t know it yet. But if you were studying the Word and making space for it to be absorbed into your life, you would know it.\n\nI realise that most of the things that I\u2019ve ever taught about or wrote on can all be summarised in much fewer words: read more Bible.\n\nI just put myself out of a job. Great\u2026\n\nHowever, there\u2019s a problem. If you\u2019ve read the Bible every day for years but then stopped and didn\u2019t pick it up for a few months, do you think you\u2019d maintain the same fruit in your life?\n\nI\u2019ll tell you what would happen.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/bpsui4rewqp7r6hbjipxpyzw6xyyndutpf4dyzjxh2fj3vex.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/bpsui4rewqp7r6hbjipxpyzw6xyyndutpf4dyzjxh2fj3vex.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":33278,"title":"Following Jesus Through the Storms  - The BELIEVE Blog ft. Silas","url":"\/blog\/following-jesus-through-the-storms-the-believe-blog-ft-silas\/","urlTitle":"following-jesus-through-the-storms-the-believe-blog-ft-silas","division":233745,"description":"As followers of Jesus, we often find ourselves in situations where storms of life come our way.  It's crucial to understand that even though we are walking with Christ, we are not exempt from the trials and tribulations that come with living in a fallen world.In fact, Jesus never promised an easy and trouble-free path; instead, He assured us that we would face storms. However, the key lies in how we respond to these storms and remain steadfast in our faith...","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/dzqffzqrxdbpitcbcmf83bh0askaz1uswer1p8aon7hjq0ci.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/dzqffzqrxdbpitcbcmf83bh0askaz1uswer1p8aon7hjq0ci.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0}],"labels":[]}