Rally Against Low Expectations

I have been blown away by the "bar on the ground" expectations my worlds seems to have of me.

1. When I open a door for someone and let him or her go in front of me, people (especially adults) are taken aback with genuine surprise.
2. I throw together a paper with next to no effort, and hand it in knowing it's not my best work, pretty well convinced I'm getting at best a B. I get an A.
3. I return something I borrow on time, and am met with sincere gratitude and appreciation.
4. I live out my faith and am thanked for it, thanked like it's never been seen before.
5. I do the dishes for my family at home, without being asked, and am showered with praise.

These are just a few examples of what I've noticed moving around in the world lately.

Now, I could sit back and say "Alright, people think I'm doing pretty well here. I'm already exceeding expectations; why should I try any harder?"

That's not what God intended for us all! Looking at the Scriptures, God doesn't go for just good. He doesn't even go for great. He goes beyond what we could imagine in our wildest dreams. He wants to continue to surprise us by His perfection and His holiness. And you know what else, He tells us to do the same (Matthew 5:48).

Hold on here. Be perfect? How can the Lord expect me, a carrier of humanity's sinful natures, with all of my pride, to be perfect?! Perfect is a big word, there, and I, well, I am not.

But.

I know who is. And that's what saves us all. Jesus Christ lived in the world, but did not give way to its ways. He lived a perfect life. And He wants to live that perfect life inside of me. Think about it; it's absolutely mind blowing. By continual surrender to the work Christ literally died to do in me, I can see the greatness of God. Now, I'm human; I can't be perfect. But I can move towards perfection in Christ alone. This work won't be complete until His glorious and triumphant return (Philippians 1:6), so that must mean there's a lot to do.

I'm so glad that the Way is there, leading me and showing me how to rise against my culture. God has so much more He wants to show me.



Lord, Show me a life bigger than the one that's in front of me. Help me to not settle for the world's best, God, but to continually seek more of You and Your glory and perfection. Let Your greatness begin to reveal itself in my life, and help me encourage other people to do the same. I'm a teenager, I'm a girl, I'm a student, and maybe that's why others don't expect much from me. But I am Your daughter, and part of Your body. You, God, ask perfection. And Jesus Christ made the way for us when He died on a cross and rose again. So God, thank You, for never giving up on us and for always having more in store. In Jesus Who Saves, Amen.

Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12