Whose life are you living? Are you living your life? Or are you living the life others expect you to live? When your life is lived to fulfill the expectations of someone else, you are dealing with the pressure of expectations, and the outcome is stress.
Two suggestions for dealing with the pressure of expectations:
First, clarify your own expectations for your life. Nature abhors a vacuum. If you are not clear about your purpose, others will provide one for you, and it may not be good. Know who you are and where you are going in your life. Maybe write it down and post it where you can see it every day. Replace the expectations others have of you with your own expectations for yourself.
Second, discern God’s expectations for your life. It is exhausting and stressful to live at cross purposes with God’s plan. If you live the life that God wants for you, there may be some sacrifices, but your stress level will drop dramatically.
In our sermon this Sunday we will talk about dealing with the pressure of expectations.