Realistic Expectations

Have you ever wondered if your expectations are appropriate for your child? Do you push them too hard or not enough? Are you too strict or too lenient? What are they really capable of? Those are tough questions without easy answers. Let me share a couple of ideas. First, we are all sinners. Saved or not, we still sin. We still have a sin nature. There is no Biblical basis for saying, "My child would never....." fill in the blank. We set them up for failure when we fail to recognize their own frame. The Bible tells us that God knows our frame. Jesus knew what was in man. There are no false perceptions from the Almighty. We are all sinners. No one is righteous, no not one. No matter how well trained they are. People fail, always. Secondly, what are God's expectations? He calls us to holiness. He calls us to be perfect, to love our enemies, and pray for those that hurt us. We are told to be like Jesus. Those are some pretty high expectations.

Here is the rub, the fact of sin and the call to holiness. How are those reconciled? At the cross. The cross is the place that our sin is taken care of and our future is secured. We are redeemed from sin and death and adopted into the family of God. So, in regards to our expectations, have them work hard. Encourage their excellence. Draw them to the heights. But, never forget they sometimes will miss the mark, be below average, and crumble under pressure. And that is ok. That is part of being human. We try, we fail, we are forgiven, we get back up and try again. The cross gives us that freedom. Give that freedom to your child too. Whatever they do, we should expect their best effort, but failure is part of the process. Don't be shocked. Help them get back up, and go at it again.