Do to others as you would like them to do to you. Luke 6:31
Have you ever expected someone to help you with something, only to feel disappointed when they didn’t?
Both of Alysha’s parents had worked outside the home when she was growing up. Mom picked up groceries on her way home from work. Then Dad cooked dinner and made lunches. After a meal, everyone jumped in and cleaned up. But when she married Luke, she was in for a surprise. Luke’s dad had traveled constantly for work and his mom had stayed at home and taken care of the entire household. He never saw his dad in the kitchen.
To say that there were unspoken expectations in this marriage is a big understatement! Unspoken expectations can quietly damage even the best relationships, creating frustration and resentment. In Alysha and Luke’s marriage they led to misunderstanding and hurt feelings. It’s easy to assume that the people close to us should just know what we need or how we feel– whether it’s a spouse, friend, or coworker.
God gives us wisdom in these moments. Jesus said, in the Bible book of Luke “Do to others as you would like them to do to you” (Luke 6:31). Luke would have liked Alysha to communicate her need for sharing responsibilities and Alysha would have liked Luke to share how he had just expected his marriage would be like his parents,’ even though circumstances were different.
Learning to practice voicing what we’d like from others clearly is an act of love. Instead of silently holding ideas about what you’d like in a relationship, talk about it directly. We can’t expect others to read our minds, but we can live out the principle of treating others with the clarity and understanding we want for ourselves.
What expectations are you holding that you haven’t voiced?
