Read Mark 1:14-15
This Is Not What I Expected.
When Jesus had heard that John had been taken into custody he went to Galilee and began preaching the gospel of God. Jesus stated, “The Time is Fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is at hand…” Everything the Old Testament had said about the coming Messiah is fulfilled and now is the opportunity to see the Messiah for he is now in their midst; and hear his message of the gospel. The message is one of Mercy, grace, love, and salvation but not the kind that the JEWS EXPECTED. Not a gospel of deliverance from the Romans, but a message of deliverance from the bondage of sin. A freedom that lasts for eternity. Their focus was not to be all about an earthly Kingdom but a Heavenly Kingdom.
Okay, we know that Jesus didn’t come to set up an earthly Kingdom against Roman rule, but to set up a Heavenly Kingdom based on a sacrifice of love, Grace, surrender, repentance, and faith. We know that, but like the Jews who expected an earthly Kingdom, we still battle for our earthly Kingdom versus God’s Heavenly kingdom. We still get fixated on what’s going on here on Earth that we lose focus of what God is wanting to do for his kingdom. We fight for our earthly reign. We expect God to meet our every earthly wants and lose focus of what he is wanting to do. We are fighting for our will to be done and not God’s will. We’re trying to make our life on Earth the perfect life forgetting this Earth is not our home. We are here only for short time. We need to quit fighting for what we want, and instead, daily surrender and ask God what he wants to accomplish. Like Jesus, say to God, “Not my will but your will be done.” What purpose are you wanting to accomplish in and through my life? What do I need to surrender daily so you can lay out your plan that may go totally against my plan and expectations?
Is it my career, my finances, my relationships, my family, my gifts, etc??
For example:
1. God, I expect to be a world known evangelist. You, however, expect me to truly invest into, and love my neighbors one at a time.
2. God I expect a perfect home, with a perfect income, with a perfect car, with great success. You expect a faithfulness that may cause division in my family, expect me to give to the poor even if that means giving up something I value, you expect me to have a car that’s able to be used to help others and not just myself, you expect success that can’t be measured by money or the size of a home but by the level of obedience to your desires versus mine.
3. I expected my gifts of sports to blossom so everyone could see how great and successful I was. God, you expected me to use my gifts for your glory. And expected me to love you even when the gift was taken from me.
Lord, help me to quit living off of my own expectations.
