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- Feb 9, 2004
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Great Expectations - August 19, 2005
As a pastor's wife, I get one particular comment more than any other. It's a little disturbing to me that it's this one: "Ya know? You're not like any other pastor's wife I've ever known." I'm never quite sure how to respond. Should I offer a thank you or should I APOLOGIZE?
Expectations can be pretty intimidating. It can be tough to know exactly what a person, a family member, an audience or even what your church might be requiring of you. As a minister's wife and as a writer and speaker who is rather "out there" in ministry, I've had to sift through the expectations of people. I've had to sort them right down to what it is that is truly required of me. Would you believe I've strained it all the way down to Micah 6:8? "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (NIV)
What expectations do I need to meet? Only His! And He spells out for me in His Word what He requires: Act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God. If I'm striving for righteousness in the power of His Spirit and walking in integrity, and if I'm loving compassionately and loving others faithfully, and if I'm paying less attention to what I want and more to what He wants, devotedly and humbly obeying Him, then I don't need to worry about anyone else's expectations. His are the expectations I want to meet.
Still, I think I'll be rejoicing in the day I'm standing before him and I hear Him say the words, "Ya know? You're not like any other pastor's wife I've ever created."
Rhonda Rhea writes for dozens of Christian publications and speaks at conferences and events across the country. You can find her newest books, "Soup for the Soul-Tastes Just Like Chicken", and "Amusing Grace", at your local Christian bookstore.
As a pastor's wife, I get one particular comment more than any other. It's a little disturbing to me that it's this one: "Ya know? You're not like any other pastor's wife I've ever known." I'm never quite sure how to respond. Should I offer a thank you or should I APOLOGIZE?
Expectations can be pretty intimidating. It can be tough to know exactly what a person, a family member, an audience or even what your church might be requiring of you. As a minister's wife and as a writer and speaker who is rather "out there" in ministry, I've had to sift through the expectations of people. I've had to sort them right down to what it is that is truly required of me. Would you believe I've strained it all the way down to Micah 6:8? "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (NIV)
What expectations do I need to meet? Only His! And He spells out for me in His Word what He requires: Act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God. If I'm striving for righteousness in the power of His Spirit and walking in integrity, and if I'm loving compassionately and loving others faithfully, and if I'm paying less attention to what I want and more to what He wants, devotedly and humbly obeying Him, then I don't need to worry about anyone else's expectations. His are the expectations I want to meet.
Still, I think I'll be rejoicing in the day I'm standing before him and I hear Him say the words, "Ya know? You're not like any other pastor's wife I've ever created."
Rhonda Rhea writes for dozens of Christian publications and speaks at conferences and events across the country. You can find her newest books, "Soup for the Soul-Tastes Just Like Chicken", and "Amusing Grace", at your local Christian bookstore.
