The Burden of Men’s Expectation (Part 3)

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. – Romans 8:1-2 NIV

There is guilt that comes from the burden of man’s expectations. We all grow up learning to live up to men’s expectations because we come from homes and communities where we have been brought up to do things in a certain way.  Most parents want the best for their beloved children and seek to bring them up in the way they know. Many of the ideals and expectations good parents have for their children mirror God’s expectations, but there are many others that are given more value than God would give them. Man’s expectations of us are not always God’s expectations, and there is peace when we know the difference.

The Pharisees were experts in placing requirements on men that produced guilt. The Lord Jesus spoke of this in Matthew 23:4 (NIV):

‘They (the Pharisees) tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them’

Just like the Pharisees, men can tie up heavy loads of rules and regulations and put them on our shoulders.  Some of our guilt may come from religious rules of men or organisations. Some of us are like the elder brother of the prodigal son who, though he never left the house, was so entangled with self-imposed rules that he never experienced the liberty of being a son of the Father. He was never free to experience what the Father meant by ‘everything I have is yours’ (Luke 16:31b).

Some of our weight of guilt may come from societal or cultural expectations. They too tie heavy loads on men’s shoulders. Many of us are concerned that we are not man or woman enough; or that we do not measure up in one area or another; or that our families are not ‘normal’ enough. (By the way what is ‘normal’?). A sister was saying recently how guilty she feels from always falling short of what she has grown up to believe is expected of her. This lady was speaking of her inability to live up to ‘the proper English (British) way’. It is important that we differentiate between man’s expectations and God’s expectations. Sometimes, even unconsciously, we allow the TV, the internet and other social interactions to shape for us what is ‘normal’ and expected of us. Too many of us then live under some burden of guilt because of not being ‘normal’. Many of these expectations try to make us look good on the outside, but God is seeking to make us like Christ.

We may be surprised to find out how many of our expectations and goals are influenced by what our culture and society expect of us. Even when they are not bad, these  expectations of men can be given more weight than God gives them. And sometimes they may even be opposed to what God wants of us.

‘Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ’ (Colossians 2: 16-17 NIV)

Paul is here calling the Colossians away from living their lives to measure up to the judgement of others. He calls them to live for Christ. A child of God is called to live to please Christ, not to try to live up to the expectations of society. We must not be afraid of ‘not measuring up’ according to man’s scale, when we are keeping in step with Christ. God is calling us away from the bondage of living for man’s opinion. It is a trap!

‘Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe’ Proverbs 29:25 (NIV).

‘The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that.’ Proverbs 29:25 (The Message)

Beloved, let us walk away from the snare of living for men’s opinions. There is protection and safety in trusting  in God’s way and walking in it.. There is freedom from guilt in living for God. He loves us and calls us to walk in the light he has shown us.  He calls us to repent and receive the cleansing of the blood of Christ that freely purifies us from all sin and guilt:

‘But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin’ (1 John 1:7 NIV)

This is freedom indeed!