Expectations of the heart

I don’t understand why we expect people to be everything in our lives, when only God can fill the empty places of a soul. Yet, if we were to be honest all of us have experienced placing high expectations on people, while living with low expectations towards God.

Yesterday was filled with love, roses and romance. Valentine’s day is also traditionally  filled with expectations, disappointments and hurting hearts. Many are probably glad this Hallmark Love Day is over for another year.

A little over a year ago God gave me a word. Actually, two words strung together to create life-changing meaning:

UNDIVIDED HEART

At the time I didn’t know the fullness of what these two words would mean in real life. Truth is, I am still learning.  I am learning that when my heart is not divided, I am free from many of the troubling thoughts, expectations and liabilities that can effect me as a woman. Here is the passage that God has been anchoring me in since August of 2011:

“Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love toward me…you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Turn to me and have mercy on me; grant strength to your servant.” Psalm 86:11-12. 15-16

Undivided means not fragmented in parts. In the Hebrew it is a word that means to unite or united. In other words, a heart that is united or tied to God. But, what if part of our heart is tied to God and the other is fastened tightly to people and things? Well, that is an example of a divided heart. Split, fragmented, going in two directions, trusting in two sources. How can it be that one minute we are praising God, and the next minute we are stirring around in our negative emotions just because someone didn’t do what we thought they should do, or what we expected them to do?

I don’t know what having an undivided heart will mean to you. I am suggesting that you pray about those two words, right out of the Holy Scripture. For me, those two words began unfolding a new path.  A path of joy. Fastened to God. Learning to trust in the process of this fastening. Opening my clenched hands and reaching my arms up in fresh surrender.

I began to see how I often valued people above valuing God. People I could see. God I can not see. People can meet an immediate need. God is meeting my needs but I can not see the immediate results. So, I have learned to trust in people more than God for the daily things in life. Thus…my heart, for years has been divided between the two.

But, Jesus taught us not to worry about the things we need or desire. He taught that we are to Seek Him and the things of the Spirit. When we do, all our needs and deepest desires are met and provided for. Because we can’t see God,. we often don’t trust this. Still, The Word of God is truth and sets us free to live a life that is in our BEST interest, because our God of Love, leads us on a path of Best Interest and Divine Plan.

Take a look at what Jesus said,

“your heavenly Father knows what you have need of. Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you as well.” Matthew 6:32-33

Then in the Psalms:

“Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

Often the things I desire are not in my best interest, and so, my heavenly Father who knows what I really need, provides accordingly. He leads me down a path that is taking me to the heart of God. He is leading to a path of raising my expectations of Him, while lowering my expectations towards people. I once heard it said that the path to resentments is paved with expectations. That is very true for our human relationships. Continuing the crazy cycle in our lives of expecting too much from people and not enough from God will keep us stuck between the two and divided.

Today I pray for each of us, that we will have undivided hearts. Hearts set towards God. Hearts free to love people without so many strings attached. Hearts that are running towards God’s best intentions for us. Will you join me in that prayer too?

God’s Love Never Fails,

Debbie

P.S. this post is not a reflection on my husband. God uses him to far exceed what I could ask for. But, I had to learn not to expect more from him than he can give. He can not be my “everything”. But he can be a “special thing” in my life, a gift from the Father.