First of all, this is not another dating/marital blog. Just for the record. I think this applies to any relationship between two people at any stage of their lives. And this blog was inspired by Pete Wilson’s sermon on Expectationw at Cross Point tonight.

Expectations are about what you will do for me. Expectations are something I expect from you and you probably won’t hear from me about them unless you don’t meet them. Kinda like how no one is ever rewarded or given a raise for showing up to work on time.

Expectations in any area kill the ability for the other person to love you in that way. You can only get back to a zero balance and not be in debt in that area. That’s not love. That’s a contract.

As believers, we’re called to look at our relationships differently. We’re commanded to put the other’s needs above our own and seek their good first and to consider the other person as better than ourselves. Essentially, love means laying down your life, not in the dramatic way of taking a bullet for someone, but in a thousand small ways such as taking an interest in what the other person is interested in, giving up your schedule, not demanding your rights, saying that word of encouragement even when you would rather criticize. The list goes on.

Jesus modeled the ultimate friend. He laid down His life for us and never quit on us, even when we gave Him a million reasons to. He’s done everything in His power to see our brokenness made whole and healed and He’s not about to quit until He’s finished with what He started in us.

We as Christians, or little Christs, are to do the same. We lay down our lives for our friends and never give up on them. We do everything in our power to see them come fully alive in Christ and find healing and wholeness. We want to see their joy made full and their hearts captivated by the love of Christ.

Am I saying to not have any expectations? Maybe. Maybe not. What I am saying is that maybe our expectations should not so much be in what the other person will do for us, or even what we will do for them, but what God has promised to do in those of us who are surrendered and availble for His service. We should expect that His love will conquer any opposition or obstacle. We should expect that God will be faithful always and work all things for the good of those who love Him. I think those are great expectation!

Amen and amen.