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Entitled Expectation or Reverent Remembrance?

My Son!  You are ALWAYS with me and EVERYTHING I have is yours! We HAD to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is now alive again!  He was lost and now he is found!  Luke 15:31-32

“What would my life look like if I released entitled expectation and embraced reverent remembrance…”  That’s the thought that rolled like ticker tape through my thoughts as I listened to a song by Hillsong titled, “Remembrance.”  The word, “remembrance” means to notice something absent which had previously been present, whereas, “expectation” means to look forward to a future event that has the likelihood to unfold.  They both focus on something that is absent so what is the difference, I wondered. 

When we take a peek at the story of, “The Prodigal Son”, we are given a visual of the two perspectives.  The younger son who squanders away his inheritance, “comes to his senses” and remembers his good and loving father.  He was eating slop with the pigs when he suddenly remembers how well his father cares for his servants.  This moment of remembrance humbles his heart and causes him to return to his father knowing how little he deserved.  The older brother, however, had been “slaving” on his father’s behalf  for his entire life.  So when he learns that his younger brother had returned, and that his father had the audacity to throw a party to celebrate the prodigal’s return, the older brother sulks outside the party enshrouded with entitled expectation. 

Isn’t it so easy to walk through life like the older son feeling like we are, “slaving” for others, for God, for our spouse, for our children, for our job?  This focus of entitled expectation robs us of joy and causes us to forget the simple Truth that the father tenderly and excitedly proclaims to the older brother.  “My Son!  You are ALWAYS with me and EVERYTHING I have is yours! We HAD to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is now alive again!  He was lost and now he is found!” Luke 15:31-32

I mean can you imagine the father’s inexplicable joy when he sees his younger son approaching, the son he thought dead??!!!  Scripture tells us that the father was SO excited that he ignored cultural niceties as he hiked up his robe as he ran to greet his prodigal son!  The older son had always been with the father and was privy to EVERYTHING the father owned…even the father’s affection.  And yet, the older son’s entitled expectation clouded that truth…

As I type this, my husband just left for work. Things have been crazy busy in our home for weeks now.  I finally voiced my sadness of feeling a wee-bit neglected…simply put, my expectations were not being met.  My focus was on a future event that was simply not unfolding – him taking the time to do x, y or z.  The conversation was good and needed, but what might have been my approach if I laid expectations at the foot of the cross and remembered that everything I need can be met by my heavenly Father if I let Him?  What if I had a heart stance like that of the younger son, remembering how very good the Father has been to me, the compassion He extended to me by extending His love, salvation and grace even when I didn’t deserve it?  Perhaps I could approach my husband or children or coworkers with the same compassion that had been extended to me? What would our lives look like if we released entitled expectation and instead embraced reverent remembrance of our good, loving and faithful Father?  Perhaps the approaching thanksgiving season might be marked by a celebration song of gratitude verses a sulking song of entitled expectation?

Some Points to Ponder :)

• This passage is often called, “The Parable of the Lost Son”.  In what ways might we consider the older son as, “lost”?
• The older son’s heart had wandered into the land of expectation causing him to forget who he is and Whose he is. Does my heart stance align more with the older son or the younger son?  Do I focus more on entitled expectations or on reverent remembrance?
• When I am tempted to complain about what is not happening during this holiday season, how might I remind myself of Who my Father is and all that is available to me as His follower? Holy Spirit, we ask that you would sustain a heart of remembrance within us that causes our lives to reflect the excited and resplendent glory of our heavenly Father!

Link to, "Remembrance" by Hillsong.

1. We all have individual gifts and talents.  Things we would do all day long even if we weren’t paid for it.  Those gifts point to our part.  What is something you L-O-V-E to do that does not require effort?
2. How can you use that passion to serve others and bring glory to God?
3. Pray and ask the Lord to reveal the giftedness of each of your children – that you would have eyes to see and ears to discern their beautiful God-granted giftedness.  Ask Him to give you the same eyes for yourself – to remind you of who you are, but more importantly, Whose you are as a son or daughter of the Most High King.

Here is a song about seasons.  Sometimes walking through, "the land of littles" can feel like a winter season, a hidden season that will prolong for ages...it won't.  I promise :) The proclamation in the song is so encouraging and is a reminder that the Lord is working out his purpose for us in whatever season we may find ourselves:

I can see the promise
I can see the future
You're the God of seasons
And I'm just in the winter
If all I know of harvest
Is that it's worth my patience
Then if You're not done working
God I'm not done waiting
You can see my promise
Even in the winter
Cause You're the God of greatness

Seasons by Hillsong

Years ago, when one of our sons was five, he came in from the garage, sweaty, eyes red and puffy from crying.  He walked right past me to his room where he grabbed a pillow and a belt.  What in the world?  When I peeked in the garage, I realized that he had been watching his brothers zoom around the garage on their new roller skates. He had watched and studied and decided that he wanted to try his hand at it too. The problem was that he had no one helping him.  He had fallen down so many times that he decided his solution would be to strap a pillow to his beaten and bruised bottom.  He didn’t ask for help because, as he told me, “I got it!”

Aren’t we all a little like this with our heavenly Father?  Psalm 68:19 says, “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.”  The author of the Psalm is rejoicing and praising Jesus for who He is, our Savior, and for who God is, our daily burden bearer!  And isn’t it so easy to pass through life at lightening speed, pulling up the bootstraps and letting our decisions, emotions, words and actions stubbornly proclaim, “I got it!”

God can only bear our burdens if we will release to them to Him.  I love the visual of the New Living Translation, it says, “…for each day he carries us in his arms.”  Our sweet son could have saved his little bottom if he only allowed us to be his support, to help “carry him” as he learned how to balance himself. 

Our Father desires to do the same, to be the same for us, but He loves us enough to not force His love upon us!  One of the names of Jesus is, “Emmanuel, God with us”.  It’s not just a name, it’s a name with a promise – He is WITH US DAILY!  Another name for Jesus is our Salvation! When we face the pressures and stress of daily life, let the word, “daily”, remind us that we have a good and loving Father on whom we can call who is just waiting for us to place our burdens at HIS feet!  He will carry them for us daily!  In fact, He will carry US daily if we let Him!  One of the best ways to do this is mentioned at the beginning of the verse…through praise.  Kinda like a great exchange?

Psalm 55:2 commands us to cast our burdens on the LORD in exchange for two promises  - for His promise to sustain us and to never permit us to be shaken!  What would our daily lives look if we actually believed He is who He says He is and will do what He promises to do?  Do we trust Him enough to daily cast our cares upon Him and praise Him for His promise to daily carry our burdens?   

1) The next time you are tempted to act like a child who proclaims, “I’ve got it!”, how might you remind yourself that God is ready and waiting to daily bear your burdens?

2) How might you tangibly exchange your burdens for praise? i.e. You feel frustrated that you don’t have a plan for dinner – flip the script and praise God for all of the food in your pantry and ask Him to show you an easy solution.  Pancakes & eggs anyone? J

3) The word “cast” literally means to fling or throw.  The next time you are tempted to grumble, fling your frustration at the Lord’s feet and choose instead to praise Him that He promises to sustain you!  Any praise is awesome praise in the eyes of our fond Father! What can you praise God for today?

Here is an amazing song by Amanda Cook that speaks to the faithfulness of our God amidst the most difficult of circumstances :)