PEOPLE AND RELATIONSHIPS: Knowing Your Expectations

PEOPLE AND RELATIONSHIPS

Knowing Your Expectations
May 1, 2022

ex·pec·ta·tion: a strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future.


• What happens when
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doesn’t meet
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in our relationships?


Matthew 22:37-39 - Jesus replied: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”


• The mark of a growing Christ-follower is a deepening love for God AND love for people.


1. What are
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expectations?


A.
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: We don’t even know we had them.


B.
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: They are not grounded in reality.


C.
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: We might be aware of the expectations; the other person isn’t.


D.
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: Because you said it, doesn’t mean they agreed.


• Anger comes from three basic areas: hurt, fear, and frustration.


So what can we do?


2. How can we move toward emotionally
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relationships?


A. Stop
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.


Proverbs 18:2 - A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions.


Proverbs 18:15 - The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out.


B. Stop making
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.


Matthew 7:1-3 – “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?”


C. Start having
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.


Proverbs 18:15 - The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out.


Ask questions like:


• “Can you tell me more about that?”


• “Can you explain what you mean by that?”


• “I think you think
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_, is that true?”


D. Start clarifying
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.


•
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: Understand that I have an expectation.


•
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: Is there evidence to support that my expectation is reasonable?


•
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: Have I taken responsibility for clearly stating the expectation out loud in words?


•
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: For an expectation to be healthy, both people have to agree to it.


*Key part of understanding relationships:


It takes both
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and
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to have a healthy relationship.


Romans 5:5 - And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.


Next Step: Who do you need to have a conversation with TODAY?