Busyness is a DistractionSample

What is Expected of Me?

Oftentimes, we fill our schedules with what we perceive is expected of us. 

In a few cases, this busyness is natural. Where would we be if we did not follow the responsibilities of our jobs?

Yet in other cases, the busyness formed by expectations is dangerous.

In the same way values can form our busyness, expectations others have for us can flood our schedules. We might expect others want us to be involved in every church activity, so we stretch ourselves thin to meet this expectation. Or we might expect others want us to be in a bigger house, so we work two jobs to move into a bigger house by a certain deadline. If you look closely, these schedules are fueled by external expectations, not by the desires of the heart.

What’s interesting is we’re so quick to fill our schedules with what others expect of us, yet we ignore what God expects of us. Our schedules hardly reflect the latter.

What’s even more interesting is that God’s expectations for our lives is never shaming. It’s only to our benefit that we obey it.

So what is expected of us from God? And how should this be reflected in our schedules?

Paul writes in several of his letters that God has called us to have an eternal mindset. We are called to run toward the goal set before us, and live lives that testify to the Gospel and call others to him. In other words, we have more important work to do.

This doesn’t mean your schedule has to be filled with only God’s work. It means, the expectations of others for your life should never outweigh the expectations of God. And oftentimes, our busyness reflects where our priority lies.

If your busyness reflects where your heart isn’t, it’s time to do something about it.