Live God Adventures

I am learning to let go. I don’t think this lesson will ever stop. I think it will just continue to morph, shape, and change as I grow and become who God has created me to be.

In this season, I’m learning to let go of my expectations. Expectations for what? You might ask. Expectations for everything.

Now, you may tilt your head and raise your eyebrow at this statement, “let go of expectations for everything“, like I still do. But hear me out. I’m not letting go of expectations that God is Good, Sovereign, my Savior, my Healer, my Provider, and every other thing that I could possibly need. I expect Him to be all of those things, I expect miracles, and I expect Him to move. But what I’m learning to let go of is the expectation that He has to do those things my way.

This has been an interesting year. I don’t think there has been one thing that has gone the way I expected it to go. Even things that were planned and scheduled have been changed, or possibly changed, then possibly changed again (emphasis on possibly, I still don’t even know. It’s hard to have my own expectation when that’s the case). I’ve realized that I have expectation issues. I am concerned about what other people expect of me and their perception of that, I expect things to go the way I have planned, I expect to have at least a glimpse into a little bit of the future so I can plan ahead. (Maybe there is a planning issue, too? Haha) it’s as if all of those expectations have been shattered the last few months. When I say that word, shattered, I think of a blog I wrote a few months ago about Psalm 51:10 and how sometimes as God is shaping, molding, and creating us into who He planned for us to be, there is breaking and shattering. A breaking and shattering of our expectations and flesh. I’ve prayed this scripture for a long time and it continues to grow within me in different seasons of life.

“Therefore do not worry saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your Heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about it’s own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Matthew 6:31-34 NKJV

This verse is easy to quote and even easier to share with a friend in need. But what about putting it into practice in our own lives? Not just repeating it when we read a friends situation online, but actually living it and allowing it to penetrate our hearts and change us. Not letting this verse become something we say after we’ve panicked for an hour (or day, or week) but something that we choose to live and challenge ourselves with. Work has changed and gone down to 1-2 days a week? Don’t worry first, seek His kingdom first. The next season of your life that you’ve been planning on and working towards and is only 3 months away got pushed back another possibly 6 months? Don’t worry first, seek His kingdom first.

It’s not about us.

Let me say that one more time, it’s not about you.

Sometimes, we as humans, try to make “God’s will“ about our earthly comfort, happiness, and what seems good to us. When it’s not that at all. The whole purpose, our whole purpose, is to bring glory to God, bring people to Him, salvation, Jesus. We can get so consumed with ourselves and what we want or how we expect things to look that we forget it is totally and completely not about us.

So, in this new season, as I walk in this new lesson, I am trying to lay my expectations down. What will happen tomorrow, what will happen next week, what will moving to Africa look like, what will happen after Africa, will my hearts desires be met? I will know these things in due time. Right now, my part is to seek His kingdom.

I challenge you to spend some time quietly seeking the Lord. Ask him if there’s anything that you are holding onto that is your own expectation. Is there anything that He may be asking you to let go of so that he can move? Write those things down and make the effort to stop having specific expectations. Will God provide? Absolutely! How exactly? Does it matter if he’s providing? No.

I’ve been doing a lot of journaling lately. What I’ve realized as I continue to seek His kingdom and not my own will is that my flesh will fight this truth constantly. “But what about what I want?” “Don’t I deserve to have xyz and for my life to look “this” way?” No… The Lord will provide everything you *need* and will bless you and cause you to prosper, He is for you not against you. All those things are true. So, stop trying to make things look your way. Just let go and allow the Lord to move the way that is the best for you.