If there is a theme that I have learnt about a lot this year it is probably...EXPECTATIONS. I am not sure how expectations are formed. I am sure sometimes you form expecations unconciously, bue we do definetely create expectations of events, things, people and...ourselves. These expectations are not always realistic and mostly they are not always Godly.
We especially create big expectations in our minds about something as big as a Global Challenge one year journey. Things like it is just going to be fun and nice, no hard times. Spiritually just in overflow all the time, but these are not realistic or Godly. If we read the Bible, then we see that suffering and hard times are very much part of our Christian walk. So then when we hit these hard times or we struggle with spiritual questions, you think there must be something wrong because your expecations are not met, but it was never Godly. You see if we don't have a Godly expectation about something then it will never be met, because God will let Hid plans prevail. This was really an eye opener for me. We need to make time to ask God what is His expecation of stuff for us, in this way we can look at things with His perspective and then we are not looking at things with our worldy temporarily view. Our view of things has been influenced so much by wordly things.
During this time of learning about expectations I also had to admit that I put a too high unrealistic expectation on myself in certain situations. This is not a nice thing to admit and was definitely incredibly humbling for me, but the fact is that my identity is in Christ. I am already 100% accepted. I have already passed the test, not because I am good, but because I am in Christ. You see sometimes this year it's been really difficult to know if you are "making" it. You don't get a midyear report card saying you have passed, well done you can continue. Especially with my love language being words of affirmation I sometimes wanted that report card saying well done, but then I realised and I had to make that MINDSHIFT you HAVE made it, because Christ in you HAS made it.
This has been such an incredible freeing journey, and it is something I will have to continue to remind myself of, but it brings so much freedom for the rest of the life. I hope and pray that this will sink into our hearts and that we will truly realise the depth and the freedom of the fact that our identity is completely and complete in Christ!!