Expectations and Execution
Passage for the Week: “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk , but of power.” ~ 1 Cor. 4:20
We all have heard motivational lines used by speakers like:
“Be all you can be.”
“You cant plow a field by turning it over in your mind.”
“The best way out is always through.”
“Don’t wait till the iron is hot to strike, but make it hot by striking it.”
And like a lot of motivational lines, we file them away. Eventually someone turns them into a cliche riddled power point slide show someone mass forwards you (me) in a cheesy email.
But a few weeks ago, Heath Bechler introduced me to one that resonated with me personally, professionally, and even spiritually. It comes from Hall of Fame Football Coach Tony Dungy,
“Expectations. Execution. No explanations. No Excuses.”
Simply broken down: Know your expectations (for work, personal and spiritual life) and execute on them daily. If it’s something you believe in, then no explanations or excuses will truly satisfy you until you have achieved.
I actually have this sign hanging-up in my bathroom. I see it every morning when I get ready for the day. I remind myself of this mantra. I visualize my expectations and plan my strategy out for executing to achieve.
I wished this is something I could say I achieve every day, but it’s a process. Something that requires discipline - and even this requires a steadfast execution.
And in many ways our relationship with God requires this too.
Did you know God has expectations for each of us (Jerimiah 29:11, Matthew 28, etc) as followers of Christ?
How have you executed upon God’s expectations for your life? Hopefully better than I have on my New Years resolutions!
Likewise, have you told God your expectations for your life, your family, your career? If you haven’t, that’s a conversation that you need to have too.
But at the end of the day, like all good motivational lines, these words of expectation and execution can simply be just that - words on a sign hanging in the private rooms of our minds - never really acted upon. Execution lays in our hands to take action upon.
God wants to talk with each of us about our expectations, but failure to execute on them is to remove the power he wants to reveal to each of you.
And in the end, none of our explanations or excuses will ever satisfy the desires of our heart that he has written deep within each of us.
Be excellent this week, friends.
faithhopeLovewins,
mathew marquez
KTC Chaplain.
