The munch - great expectations #4
Ken is a full time worker who has 4 'adult' children. Having worked as a software engineer for the majority of his career, Ken now works at City Bible Forum and each week walks up to city workers and has conversations about who Jesus is. He also continues to use his IT expertise at City Bible Forum and he's a big fan of Macs (not!)
Throughout my working life, I've always loved projects. The beauty of being involved in a project is that it becomes so much easier to tell what's important and what's not important. Does this activity contribute to the success of the project? Let's do it! If not, then let's do it some other time.
With projects, what is important is often clear. Unlike life in general, where what is important is often seen only with hindsight, if at all.
Great expectations
When I was a young man I threw myself into my work, wanting to "get ahead" and "make a difference". But looking back, it's hard to measure how far ahead I got, and what difference I made. The projects were often successful in their own terms, but in terms of "progress" and "difference", the impact is harder to see.
I worked building computer software systems for banks. These systems replaced existing systems that had become too difficult to maintain or change. I often reflect, with a touch of irony, that the systems I worked on will in turn have been replaced by newer systems. While we often point to technology as a sign of progress, it's progress with a strong sense of here-we-go-again.
And now I find myself at the stage of life when my children have become young adults. As I reflect on what's important in my life I'm naturally drawn to ask what should be my expectations of my children.
Passing on the baton
I want to pass on something of value to my children - something apart from a poor repertoire of Dad Jokes, or my rugged good looks. I want to pass on some wisdom about what is important in life.
Popular media is full of well-meaning advice on what expectations we should have of our children. They are encouraged to "Follow your dreams", "Be financially secure", "Your health and happiness are what's important", "Love your mum", etc.
And it's hard to speak against these, yet they just seem like platitudes. "Follow your dreams" sounds great, but my dreams as a 20-year-old were not wise. If I follow my ill-informed dreams today, it's Future Me that has to bear the cost. "Be happy" is horrible advice, because happiness is such an elusive goal. I've found Happiness tends to happen at unexpected moments as I go about my day-to-day.
And setting "financial security" and "health" as goals is an accident waiting to happen. One accident and their gone.
If these popular notions of what's important in life don't quite answer the question, where can we look?
Fortunately, our Maker has said something about what he expects of us.
God's expectations
Jesus tells what God expects of us.
Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
— John 6.28-29
Before considering what God expects of us, it's interesting to pause and see what is not expected of us. It's not about our performance. Jesus doesn't give us an ethical imperative ("Do this").
Rather, God expects us to trust someone.
It's a bit like me when my car needs a service. I don't do it myself. I don't trust myself to do it. I get someone to do it for me, someone I do trust.
So what is it that God expects us to believe in, to trust for? On another occasion, Jesus uses the example of a man being taken to court, and says the wise thing is for him to be reconciled to the guy who's suing him before they get to court. Our problem is that we have offended God and he's taking us to court. It's a disaster to be out-of-sorts with the maker of the Universe, and we need someone to make it good.
Why is God going to judge us? Morally, we fall short of God's standards. Our daily habit is to ignore our Maker and refuse to thank him.
So who can we trust to fix this for us? We don't have to read much of Jesus' words before getting the clear message he is the one God has sent. God sent him to put things right between us and God. To give us eternal life.
A life of satisfaction
When expectations are met, we call that "satisfaction". If we trust Jesus, and God's expectations are met, how does that change things?
- I won't get my day in court. God will no longer condemn me for ignoring him and failing to live a life that pleases him. So no matter what life throws at me, I know it will work out in the end.
- Now every day presents an opportunity to please God. To acknowledge him, thank him, and do good. In fact, whatever good I do is done without fear of condemnation and without desire for reward (as I already have eternal life). That's true altruism.
Jesus has already satisfied God's expectations, and calls us to join him in a life that is truly good and satisfying. Now, that's a great expectation.
