How do expectations and following the two greatest commandments connect? Faith. A couple of defining moments occurred recently. A good friend said he had realized he had been living under a spirit of fear for most of his life. I felt the Spirit leading me to agree that I, too, have struggled with that as well. I don't know if it was from chewing on that truth or if the Lord built on that, knowing I was ready, but the next night I had a revelation that I have been shipwrecked by my expectations too many times. Expectations have had a profoundly negative impact on my life. They can truly lead to worry, stress, anxiety, fear, obsessiveness, lack of peace, sleeplessness, driven-ness, inconfidence, unbelief, and lack of faith, to name a few. I am to trust the Lord with outcomes of situations and events, much of which I have very little control over anyway. Long story made short, I am repenting of walking with such expectations, and intend to let go and trust the Lord for what He wills. I am, instead, to walk in expectancy of His will coming to fruition. He will act. He will send answers to prayer. He will respond in His time. He will go ahead of me. He will change hearts. He will work things out for my well-being. I am to wait and watch, with the patience of God, and let go of what results may look like. I am called to be content in these circumstances, accepting His will as He allows. Immediately, I feel more confident, at peace, relaxed, full of faith, and more solid to deal with things as they come.
We've been digging into the two greatest commandments Jesus spelled out as Loving God with all your being and loving other people as you love yourself. Commandments being laws, we must now connect expectations with following the law. We agree the law is good. It is representative of God's character, holiness, and love. The reality remains there is a degree of impossibility attached to them because all of us humans fall short of following them perfectly. We just can't do it ourselves. The law is designed to frustrate us to the point of realizing we are desperately in need of a Savior to walk in fellowship with His commandments and provide our way to heaven. We are hopeless without Him. "Apart from Me, you can do nothing." (John 15:5)
You see, passionate sentiment just doesn't cut it. Remember Peter's proclamation that he would die for Jesus? (Here's where I input the rooster crowing, if I could.)The Sons of Thunder were jealous, but could become misguided. Passion wanes. Fires dwindle. Zeal fades. Sentiment is short-lived. It's like the mystery of the new car smell fading away. Sadly, we carry this way too far, and see the same madness in marriages drifting apart, job satisfaction reduced, church membership diminished, etc. It just falls short, doesn't it?
Some nuggets from Galatians: "a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified. For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" (Gal. 2:16,19-21)
Also, "Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? (Gal. 3:2-3) There is much more to this that demands its own study and I encourage you to do so. It would be most worthwhile. There is freedom on the other side of striving to follow the law by human effort. There you discover grace and the amazing love of God.
So, my friends, walk in the Spirit. Walk humbly before the Lord, agreeing the law is good, but admitting you cannot do it alone. I can just hear my youngest Piglet singing, "Let it go!" from the Frozen movie soundtrack. Let's stop the striving. Let's sit at His feet and get to know Him in relationship. Let Him change our hearts to become more like His. That's when we will see the fruit of walking in righteousness as He intended. That's when we actually begin living in the law and living out His two greatest commandments. But wait, there's more...
