S6 E4: Better Than You Imagined?

Hi friend! Thanks for being here. I know there are many things competing for your time and I appreciate you choosing to spend some of your valuable time here. 

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Expectations have been a tricky thing for me…

My younger adult self was a very black and white thinker so things needed to fit neatly into good and bad buckets and yeah...it wasn’t always pretty haha

I always envisioned this perfect scenario in every area of my life only to be left disappointed because….as we know life isn’t a perfect scenario...

For the longest time, I didn’t realize this is what was happening and how I kept repeating this loop of setting myself up to be let down.

When I found myself being disappointed in an outcome I usually found a way to blame myself or others for not trying hard enough or whatever reason seemed fitting.

Anyone else related to this particular loop with expectations?

This way of living was exhausting and had me not fully living into the truth I professed to believe. Yes, I need to show up and do my best but my best is never going to be perfect and I’m not in this life journey alone so as I show up I need to confidently show up knowing that the spirit of God is present in me to do the work that needs to be accomplished.  Meaning the outward circumstances aren’t always the work... most of the time they’re not. it’s the inner work of our spirit and soul that is the foundation that affects even the perception of how we see any outward circumstance.

We spend so much time judging ourselves and others by outward perceptions which are usually so off base. I’m so thankful for a God that judges my heart and intentions.

We can hear scripture about not judging others and hear its truth and nod and say AMEN...but can I challenge you today to take that truth further and not judge yourself.  We can all point to situations and seasons where someone has judged us and treated us badly. But I would dare say if we could honestly see an overview of our thoughts and words and behaviors towards ourselves we would find that we have been unkind more often to ourselves than others have been.

You were the idea of the creator of the universe. He is the one whose words of life and purpose give this life and our forever life meaning.

You also have an enemy that wants to rob you of your purpose and will fill your mind with lies to make you doubt who you are and who you belong to.

It is a war...it’s the fight of faith but we make it harder than it has to be when we don’t fight from a place of victory! 

Eve had everything she needed to do what she placed here to accomplish and yet she believed the lies of one that also knew who she really was….let’s learn from this and see the accuser and deceiver for who he is.  Scripture tells us he is a liar and there is no truth in him!

Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination!  He will outdo them all, for his miraculous power constantly energizes you. -Ephesians 3:20

So here’s the question I want us to think about…

Are you open to it being way better than you ever imagined?

Because if you’re listening to this and you’re human then I’m sure you’ve experienced major disappointments in your life.

Many of you have experienced excruciating losses that you never imagined being part of your story.

Some of you have stopped dreaming and thinking about desires you’ve had because it seems too painful to think of only being disappointed once again….

I can relate...and here’s the question I have been challenged with from this scripture…

Am I open to my story being even better than I imagined?

Maybe like you, I know for me to process that question and answer it I’ve got to shut down some voices and fears...

As painful as some of the circumstances have been that we’ve all had to walk through and as disappointed as we have been with some outcomes do we trust that God’s plans and purposes for us are being worked out “in the midst of” all of those circumstances?!?

As much as part of me can resist and not always love this truth I believe it to be true!

We have the choice to listen to the lies that hold us back and keep us stuck or we can allow the spirit of God to continually energize us and complete what he started in us and it is better than we ever even imagined!!!

Father, I thank you today for every person that is listening and pray that right now they would feel your presence right now where ever they might be listening.

I pray that hopes and desires would be activated and that faith would rise up to believe for things that circumstances have tried to convince you aren’t going to happen.

Father, we declare today that not only are we going to believe for things to happen but we are believing those things will be abundantly above all that we even dared to ask for!

We are grateful for your unconditional love that continues to draw us to you and your goodness in our lives.

We love you. 

We believe you.

We trust you and we are looking to you…

Always!