Outcome Vs. Outlook
Outcome Vs. Outlook
Do you struggle like I do with expectations? I mean when you put the time in then you should be able to see the outcome you worked for...right? Sadly, we cannot view our christian life like that. It puts too much of our attention on what we are doing while taking our attention off of what Christ has done or may be doing. I have found as I serve in ministry that it can be very easy to get “weary in well doing” when I set my expectations on my efforts. If we’re being real honest, it is just another form of my sinful pride...thinking that I can or should accomplish anything worthy of God’s blessings is a fool’s errand as that it makes my motives about me.
Romans 12:10-13 is an excellent passage to help move my focus from my outcome to my outlook. It says, “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.” What God wants is for me to focus on Christ and how He lives these things through me...simply put, if I would just let my outlook be focused on being like Christ as I lay myself down a willing sacrifice, which is the least I can do, then the only expectation I can have is Christ...my outlook is putting others first, praying God to help me continue to do that for Him, then what happens to me won’t matter.
My biggest problem with trying to live for Christ is that I keep trying to live for me...what I expect to see, or my outlook cannot be about me because then my outcome will be about me...my outcome is irrelevant when my outlook is Christ. Let that simmer for a bit.
Pastor Larry Hof
Do you struggle like I do with expectations? I mean when you put the time in then you should be able to see the outcome you worked for...right? Sadly, we cannot view our christian life like that. It puts too much of our attention on what we are doing while taking our attention off of what Christ has done or may be doing. I have found as I serve in ministry that it can be very easy to get “weary in well doing” when I set my expectations on my efforts. If we’re being real honest, it is just another form of my sinful pride...thinking that I can or should accomplish anything worthy of God’s blessings is a fool’s errand as that it makes my motives about me.
Romans 12:10-13 is an excellent passage to help move my focus from my outcome to my outlook. It says, “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.” What God wants is for me to focus on Christ and how He lives these things through me...simply put, if I would just let my outlook be focused on being like Christ as I lay myself down a willing sacrifice, which is the least I can do, then the only expectation I can have is Christ...my outlook is putting others first, praying God to help me continue to do that for Him, then what happens to me won’t matter.
My biggest problem with trying to live for Christ is that I keep trying to live for me...what I expect to see, or my outlook cannot be about me because then my outcome will be about me...my outcome is irrelevant when my outlook is Christ. Let that simmer for a bit.
Pastor Larry Hof
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