A couple of years ago I wrote the following song about trying to live up to expectations. It is called “Better Than That.” The first verse is about expectations at work, the second is about personal expectations, and the third is about marriage. You’ll have to use your imagination as to what the melody sounds like, and at the bottom I’ll share a few comments…
It’s about understanding, the culture of this corporation
And how their expecting you to exceed expectations
And now they’re demanding you to unleash your imagination
In short, the financials are flat; You gotta do much better than that
You gotta do much better than that; take off your favorite hat
You gotta do much better, better than that
One day I read in the paper, “fresh new talent,” some big wig was searching
So I got out my old guitar and, well I started rehearsing
Wrote myself a cute little song, one that I thought some folks could sing along
But all the other groups were DJs and rap; They said “You gotta do better than that!”
Then came my sweetheart’s birthday, thought about what had worked in the past
The same bouquet of pink flowers, a bottle of wine, and a gift that would last
Put on her favorite music, my old suit, and straightened up real fast
But as she sighed and put her coat on the rack
She said, “I hoped this year it would be better than that.”
You gotta do much better than that; Take off your favorite hat
You gotta do much better, better than that
You gotta do much better than that; Find out where the party’s at
You gotta do much better, better than that
It’s a goofy song, I know, and it also has some pretty depressing lyrics, right? But I know the world described in this song is the reality in which many of us live…constantly striving to fulfill the expectations of employers, family, and ourselves. Often times we fall short of what people hope for or even demand, and it leaves us feeling discouraged, tired, sad, and even angry. So where is the relief from feeling like a failure?
Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” John 6:28-29
Our relationship with God is not dependent upon what we can do for Him, but what He has done for us. And as Mike will preach about next week, true joy can be found through intimacy with Christ. What a relief from the performance demands of the world! Not only that, but I truly believe when we prioritize God’s expectations for ourselves (developing intimacy with Christ), the natural result is that we will be better equipped to fulfill the expectations of others in our life…or at least we will worry less about when people aren’t pleased with us. So if you find yourself running on the hamster wheel of human expectations, without seeking support from Jesus, you gotta do much better than that!
Cory Grimm