16I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” -Acts 9:16
Why do you want to do what you dream of doing? I remember when I first wanted to go into ministry I thought of how awesome it’d be – speaking every week, getting to do a ton of fun events and activities, helping people, etc. I thought it’d be easy, unbelievable, and a walk in the clouds.
I was wrong! Now, don’t get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing I’d rather do than what I’m doing. For me, it’s the greatest job in the entire world, it’s fulfilling, a ton of fun, and an honor and a privilege.
However, all the romantic notions I had about going into ministry went away pretty early on. It’s a ton of work, a lot of which isn’t seen at all by people, it’s a ton of time spent investing in others, a lot of time spent on personal growth, in meetings, leading volunteers, counseling people who don’t listen to you, the list goes on and on. Ultimately it’s laying down your life, your dream, your hopes and desires, for other people.
Romantic notions have set me up for some big disappointments in my life. Whether it was romantic notions about losing weight, getting promoted, having a great relationship, etc., the disappointments always left me wanting to quit. Here are some romantic notions I’ve had:
- The romantic notion that I’d lose weight without working hard and dieting.
- The romantic notion that I’m indispensable where I work.
- The romantic notion that I’ll do great things with my life just because I have a gift.
Expectation ————— >Disappointment <—————- Reality
Romantic notions are never reality. They’re unrealistic expectations. In between expectation and reality lies disappointment. If we don’t learn how to rid ourselves of romantic notions, we’re going to spend large portions of our lives in disappointment.
This week I’ll share what I’ve been learning about this subject. I hope it helps you!
What Romantic Notions do you have that have been leaving you disappointed?
Thoughts?
