What God Expects

Many of us carry a burden of unmet expectations. Expectations that come from others, God’s, our own. They weigh us down to the point of daily exhaustion and a sense of defeat. I know this weight. I too carry it. So this article today is written to myself first and then to you, Sister,  loved by God.

When was the last time our time with the Lord involved laughter and a sense of enjoyment in what God created? I will tell you that the last time for me was October of 2013, on my spiritual retreat. It has been almost a full year ago. Oh Lord, I am so sorry!

Our balance is off. WAY OFF! Yes, God “expects” us to glorify Him in all we think, say, and do. However, He also “expects” us to enjoy Him. We need to find enjoyment in the acts of loving others and obeying God, but there is more too it than that. We also need to take, reserve, set aside, create (whatever it takes) time to enjoy God.

God knew enjoying Him was important. That’s why He created a day for us to do it and chose to enjoy Himself on that day. For those of us in the ministry, this day may not be Sunday. You might have to make a different time for your Sabbath.

Enjoying God should not happen just on our Sabbath though. I wonder what would happen if we began to take just 10-15 minutes for every “task” that we do to “glorify God” each day and use that short time to intentionally enjoy God. How would this change the burden we carry to meet God’s expectations?

We go so quickly from one activity to another and from one ministry to another, that we miss enjoying the moment. I was reminded of the pleasure of enjoying a moment when my 2 year old son got caught up in the excitement of what he was doing one day. I watched how he started out with this activity with His sisters and in the middle of the activity he spontaneously yelled “YAY!!!” with his fists in the air and a little hop and skip in his step. I could not help but laugh out loud at his pleasure.

Oh that we would one day soon get so caught up in enjoying God that we break out into a spontaneous yelp of excitement and pleasure. Lift your hands in the air, Sisters loved by God, and allow yourself the pleasure of “WOOHOOING” to God! The psalmist did say that in His presence there is fullness of joy and pleasures for evermore. Lets start balancing our lives with some enjoyment of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ through the Spirit.

Dr. A is a licensed marriage and family therapist and a licensed professional counselor in the state of Louisiana.  She has been counseling for over 12 years and currently serves as the Clinical Director of Restoration Counseling, a Christian counseling practice in New Orleans, LA.  Dr. A and her Pastor husband, Dr. Page Brooks have been married eleven years and have three adopted children.  The Brooks have a passion for specifically multi-racial adoption and through this journey they have planted, Canal Street Church – A Mosaic Community.Growing up in a minister’s home and becoming a pastor’s wife, God has given Dr. A insight into the lives of the minister’s wives.  She counts it a privilege to have had the honor of counseling a number of minister’s wives…find out more about Dr. A and our other writers on

Contagious Joy)