Preconceived Ideas vs. Expectations

I recently took a trip to a different state. I had not been to this place since I was a small girl but I have heard many a story about it. Most stories made it sound like it was a strictly locked down location with people filled with great dread. I expected bad attitudes and fearful perspectives to be just a given. I also expected everything to cost so much that it would be totally ridiculous on my pocket book. 

I had a preconceived idea that the people would have such drastically different views on life than myself that I wouldn’t even be able to hold any conversation while visiting. Ironically, I had a positive attitude and was excited for this trip even with these ideas in mind. As I drove on this trip, I remembered a thought in my head…

“Don’t have any preconceived ideas about where you are going, let this place speak for Itself.”

Now, for me, those still small voice thoughts stand out so, I put this thought into action. I chose to have an open heart and zero preconceived ideas. Now this didn’t happen automatically. I had to make a deliberate decision to clear my head.

Like literally stop any and all thoughts of what I thought this place should be. When they would pop up I would say, “Nope, let this place speak for itself!”

Oh how pleasantly surprised I was! Because there was nothing blocking my view of what was really in front of me, I was able to see so much beauty on my trip. Every person I met was pleasant, every conversation I had was light hearted and fear free. Even our hotel and meals were affordable. I was gifted the gift of positive perspective because I let the beauty speak for itself.

Instead of letting a negative or doubtful perspective go before me in this journey, I discovered that there was a purpose to this trip far beyond a mini vacation. Its purpose was to teach me a greater divine truth.  

So many times In life I have decided for God who He is, how He should handle my situations, where and when He should arrive and to what extent He should provide. 

My preconceived ideas of God’s role in my life have truly stopped me from seeing what He is actually willing and able to do in my life!

I want to define two words before we go any further, preconceived and expectation.

A preconceived is defined as an idea formed before having the evidence of its truth. 

Expectation is defined as a strong belief that something will happen.

“There is no power above us or beneath us—no power that could ever be found in the universe that can distance us from God’s passionate love, which is lavished upon us through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One!”

Romans‬ ‭8:39‬‬

Nothing can separate me from His love. That is what He is doing right in front of my eyes. He is showing me who He is and how He loves.  

I will admit there are many times that I step in front of this reality and change the view by allowing doubt to speak louder than this truth.  

Here are some of my preconceived opinions that have gotten in my way. Maybe you can relate.

1. God only works if I…
2. He will only supply my needs if I…
3. He can’t because I didn’t…
4. If I do this He will do that…

The common denominator? My preconceived perception is the common denominator. In my preconceived thoughts, it is I. I think that God is limited to my finite view and perspective. This is true in only one way, my finite perspective gets in the way of His overflowing greatness, goodness, and abundance. It’s like taking a water hose and bending it in half. He is always willing to flow in me, through me, around me, for me, about me. I alone get in the way and stops the flow.

In His book, You’ve Already Got It, Andrew Womack states this.

“God doesn’t need you to…….”

Somewhere in my thinking I decided God needed me to do my part in order for Him to do His. This was a preconceived idea of how God moves.

The problem with this thought is that God has already moved!

He doesn’t need me for anything. He has already done it all because He is love and He chose to make it all available to me via and through His love. I only need to reach out my hand of faith and simply grab what is already done.

Eye hath not seen no fear heard…

God’s greatness and His lavishness is so far beyond my preconceived ideas. It even goes beyond my greatest expectations. All I need to do is operate faith by taking what is already given. 

In reality there is no need for me to have any fear. Seriously. He has already given, preformed, provided, made it tangible, put it in my reach, given me access to all of His abundance in body, soul and spirit.

God is a giver!

That is the expectation. Don’t let the wearing down from the world allow you to form a preconceived idea. Let God speak for Himself.  I want to close with some verses that speak of how our loving God is.