I Deserve Better and I Deserve More!

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Is it only me or have others noticed that there seems to be an entitlement mentality rampant all around us? It says, "I deserve better and I deserve more. I'm entitled to more than I'm getting and I want it now!"

I can’t even point my finger at others without having some guilt myself. There have been times when I started to believe that I deserved what God was allowing me to have just because I was doing things in his name and within his church. Unfortunately, when we have this entitlement mentality, it eventually invades our relationship with God. We begin to feel that we deserve more from God. That he owes us more because we are his children and we are doing what we believe he wants us to do!

Nothing could be further from the truth. In reality, no matter what we do in his name and whatever part we play within the body of the church, what we ultimately deserve is death and hell. That's a bitter pill to swallow, but the Bible is clear about that: "the wage of sin is death". What God owes us in wages is death!

The good news is that he doesn't give us what we really should have coming to us. Instead, in mercy and because he loves us, he gives us life! He gives us forgiveness, hope and love. This Christmas, I am going to try to be more grateful for God’s mercy and grace and dwell no more on perceived lost entitlements.