Obedience vs. Expectation
When God’s “Yes” Doesn’t Match People’s Approval
Obedience vs. Expectation
When God’s “Yes” Doesn’t Match People’s Approval
I used to think obedience and expectation could walk hand in hand. That if I followed God’s voice, people would see it, support it, and honor it.
But here’s the truth: God’s yes doesn’t always come wrapped in people’s approval.
Sometimes His yes comes with silence.
Sometimes it comes with side-eyes.
And sometimes it comes with rejection.
That’s where obedience gets tested — not in the ease of agreement, but in the tension of choosing His voice above all others.
🧠 The Weight of Expectation
Carrying expectations can feel like every step is dragging chains you never asked for. It bends your back, tightens your chest, and keeps you looking over your shoulder to see if you’ve done “enough” to earn their nod.
It doesn’t just ask for effort — it drains your energy, steals your peace, and bends your posture.
Expectation says: “Smile when you want to cry.”
Expectation says: “Be strong when you feel weak.”
Expectation says: “Stay in line, don’t disrupt, don’t disappoint.”
The truth? Some of us have carried expectation for so long that our spiritual knees are buckling under the weight. Our souls are tired, and our hearts ache under the pressure of being everything to everyone — while rarely being allowed to be ourselves.
Expectation is heavy because it never loosens its grip. It keeps demanding more: more performance, more compliance, more silence.
And if you let it, expectation will chain you to the back of their vision and drag you down a road you were never meant to travel.
🔥 The Freedom of Obedience
Obedience is different.
Obedience breaks those chains — not because it’s easy, but because it realigns you with God’s design.
Obedience is heavy too, but it’s holy. Its weight builds you, while expectation’s weight breaks you.
Obedience isn’t about blind following — it’s about aligning with a voice that sees the bigger picture when you can’t. Obedience requires trust.
“For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.”
— Galatians 1:10 (NKJV)
Obedience frees you from the prison of performance.
Expectation will keep you shackled to their approval.
✨ Reflection
Where have you chosen people’s expectations over God’s voice?
What approval, sympathy, or affection have you been chasing?
Where is God asking for your yes, even if it looks different to them?
💬 Boss Up Affirmation
I choose obedience over expectation.
I trust His voice above their opinions.
His yes is my anchor.
His voice is my direction.
I walk boldly, even when approval fades.
🎯 Call to Action
God’s yes will never leave you empty — even if it doesn’t come wrapped in the approval you thought you needed.
Drop this in the comments:
“Today, I choose obedience over ___.”
🚪 A Soft Introduction: Mindset Matters
Setting your mind isn’t just about positive thinking — it’s about anchoring yourself in the truth of Christ so deeply that even the gates of Hades cannot prevail against it. That’s why obedience vs. expectation matters so much: it trains your mind to say yes to God above all else.
Over the next few posts, we’re diving into a mini-series called:
Mindset Matters: From Cycles to Clarity to Creation.
First, we’ll break the cycles we’ve inherited.
Then, we’ll build clarity where confusion once lived.
And finally, we’ll step into creation — aligning our big picture with God’s.
So lean in. This is just the beginning.
With grace and grit,
— Tavon J. 👑
Ms. Bossed Up
Faith-Led Life Coach | Founder of Boss Up HQ
“Covered by Grace. Fueled by Grit.”