Reasonable Expectations

Illus: Reaching the end of a job interview, the Technical Recruiter asked a young Engineer fresh out of college, "And what starting salary were you looking for?"

The Engineer said, "In the neighborhood of $125,000 a year, depending on the benefits package."

The recruiter said, "Well, what would you say to a package of 5 weeks vacation, 14 paid holidays, full medical and dental, company matching retirement fund to 50% of your salary, and a company car leased every 2 years - say, a red Corvette?"

The Engineer sat up straight and said, "Wow! Are you kidding?"

The recruiter replied, "Yes, but you started it."

It is important that we have REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS.

Illus: I like what some of the airlines expect, but I must confess they do not always seem reasonable. Look at some of these airline statements:

• “This is a non-smoking flight. Anyone caught smoking in the washroom or anywhere else while in-flight will be asked to leave the airplane immediately.”

• “Thank you for flying WestJet. I hope our airline has met your expectations. If not, you definitely should lower your expectations before flying with us again.”

• On a Continental Flight with a very senior flight attendant crew, the pilot said, “Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve reached cruising altitude and will be turning down the cabin lights. This is for your comfort and to enhance the appearance of your flight attendants.”

• On landing, the stewardess said, “Please be sure to take all your belongings. If you’re going to leave anything please make sure it’s something we’d like to have.”

• From a Southwest Airlines employee.... “Welcome aboard Southwest Flight XXX to YYY. To operate your seat belt, insert the metal tab into the buckle, and pull tight. It works just like every other seat belt, and if you don’t know how to operate one, you probably shouldn’t be out in public unsupervised.”

•“Last one off the plane must clean it.”

• After a real rough landing in Phoenix, the Flight Attendant came on with, “Ladies and Gentlemen, please remain in your seats until Capt. Crash and the Crew have brought the aircraft to a screeching halt against the gate. And, once the tire smoke has cleared and the warning bells are silenced, we’ll open the door and you can pick your way through the wreckage to the terminal.”

It is wise for us to have REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS. Many times our life has become miserable because we have UNREASONABLE EXPECTATIONS.

Parents across this nation complain about our public schools. In fairness to these parents, we have to agree - much of the trouble in the public schools has been brought on by the schools themselves.

But in all fairness, many of the problems we have in the public schools are no more than the problems we have in our homes.

If parents do not raise their children to RESPECT them, it is certain that when they attend school they are not going to RESPECT the teachers. When they do not respect the parents and teachers, they are not going to respect the police.

In all fairness, most of the problems we have in our schools and society can be traced back to the homes of Americans. The solution to our problems is to deal with them at home.

Illus: I like what former Secretary of Education, William Bennett, said in his book, "The Declining Values in America." He said that education in America is NOT UNDER-FUNDED; it is UNDER-PRODUCTIVE! If the problems of education are ever to be solved in this country, things will have to change in America's homes.

Illus: The child whose parents have not taught him to sit still and listen and follow instructions, not only will not learn anything himself, but he will keep 20-40 other children in a classroom from learning anything.

When the parents of this nation stop being parents in name only, and begin being authoritative figures in their homes, then children will learn to behave and there will be some major changes in our schools and society.

Life has become frustrating because often our EXPECTATIONS ARE UNREASONABLE.

As Christians, we want the Lord to be magnified in our bodies.

Paul spoke about magnifying Christ in our bodies in Philippians 1:20-21, "According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

Look at the two words, "EARNEST EXPECTATION." Paul is speaking about some EXPECTATIONS that we all need to have if we are going to magnify God in our body. In order to do this, we must live our lives considering THREE KINDS OF EXPECTATIONS.