The Expectations, The Perceptions... One Crazy Ball Game!


All of us are affected by what other people think, say and do in response to who we are. Yet if pleasing other people becomes the goal, you will spend the rest of your life chasing down your critics. If satisfying the critics becomes your goal, you’ll never have peace. God knows you and loves you unconditionally. Remember that you serve the Living King…and not the critics. T.D Jakes


There’s an expectation the world places on you that isn’t fair. People see you and decide they know what you should look like, what industry you should work in, who you should date, the sort of bag you should hold, what class you should fly in (that’s if they’ve pardoned you for not flying private,) and what church you should worship in, what pastor you should worship and have as your personal APM (automated praying machine.)
Sometimes we may call it good intentions, but how do they know what’s right for you?
It gives undue pressure and we find ourselves going over ourselves to please the perception of those who would only sigh or tsk their tongues and move on to gossip about other things at the news of our death.
I’ve come to realize that they don’t matter. As hard as it is to fall short of their standards or expectations of me, I’ve got to do what I do for me, for my heart, my truth, my joy and happiness and peace of mind.

I don’t have to tip toe around airports praying today isn’t the day that the world is literally small and I see one or two acquaintances on my flight and how disappointed they’ll be that I’m not flying first or business or wish the world really is small when I fly business so they can see me. (But we’ve got instagram to solve that problem of visibility :p)
I shouldn’t be scared of going into primark or wearing what I bought from there because I will be judged…. What happens when you can’t afford a pair of true religion jeans?
While you’re happily married to a man outside the scope of their perception, they stay sad in their marriage of other peoples perception, envious of you on the inside of them but turning up their nose to you on the outside… because you failed the laws of the facade of humanity. Many envy you because you dare to be happy beyond the surface, and that’s why they make you suffer for it with their snide comments and smirks at you.

Giving up your dreams and living a lie, because the world says you should pursue a certain career because it gets you IN. Life is about you living a rich and satisfying one… Rich and satisfying is having the desires of your heart and living your purpose and living your dreams in reality… Rich and satisfying is being happy being you and not locked up in peoples perceptions of plastic surgeries and fake smiles with a surprised looked all year while inside you die every day, that’s not the life we were called to live, the life Jesus came to give. The devil comes to steal, kill and destroy. Don’t you think he’s done enough stealing and destroying in you? Don’t you think you ought to pull the rug from under the pyramids of illusions of perfection you’ve built before he kills you in your pain? Don’t you think it’s time to dust the dirt of the fear of rejection from your friends for choosing to be you, different from them and unique? 
"The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)." John 10:10

“People will put you in a box and get mad when you don’t stay there. Make this note to yourself: Get out of the box.” Tera Carissa Hodges @teracarissa

I read Sarah jakes post as I wrote this and it resounded what I’m trying to say. She said what I was thinking… she said it much better than I could have, here’s an excerpt, read the rest here…..

"I made a pact with my fear long before I found my purpose. The pact insisted that I fix what the world said was wrong with me before I could be of any use. The day I realized that I was laying concrete over the ocean of my soul I made a new deal. I made a covenant with God that I would learn to seek His voice in the silence. And no matter what the people say I believe that I don’t have to look like what you’re used to, to still be used.
The secret to muting the fear-filled silence when walking in His purpose for your life is trusting that God is stronger than your doubt. He may not have created you to be like the rest of the world, but it’s only because He expected that you would be strong enough to find peace, not fear, in the silence.
God, I’m tired of living up to the expectations of what people say. I want to remove the roadblocks that are keeping me from finding the beauty in my walk and the promise in my purpose.  I’m tired of talking myself out of better. May the words from my mouth and thoughts in my mind be pleasing and acceptable in Your sight. All I want is for others to look at me and see You. "Sarah jakes.

Many of us need to get tired of living up to expectations right now… many of us need to destroy the roadblock peoples perceptions of us have put on the path to our happiness. Many of us need to start living that rich and satisfying life… and it isn’t by trying to please people or living the life they dictate to us.

It’s hard I know, but choosing to try this method of shutting the world up is one of the best decisions I’ve made for myself.(Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2
Sometimes I find myself listening and trying to compete, to show that I can if I want to and I’m as cool as they think I should be, and even cooler… Sometimes I have my bad days of letting my joy and peace get stolen as I look on at the world and try to meet up with people’s ideologies and desire to be all the definitions of great I could be according to the standards of those around me… But I am always brought back to sanity by remembering what's truly important in the end.

It’s great to be reminded that embracing Jesus sets me apart, sets us apart. In Him, I am not of the world… neither are you. (the world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. John 15:19)We’re different, unique, a people called apart, chosen for greatness beyond what the world dictates… that’s what makes us special, not making the world happy by sacrificing our joy.

Go on out into the world and be happy!

Comments

  1. Hmmmmn,another great piece.

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  2. Hmmmmn,another great piece.

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  3. The man who is truly free is the one free from 'approval addiction'.

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  4. wow great master piece
    ezechimereuchenna.blogspot.com

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