There you are—serving God with all of your might, doing the best you can to live like Jesus, and even repenting when He convicts you of sin. You are doing all the right things. But then tragedy hits. You ask the Lord, “What gives?! I’m doing the best I can here, why have You done this to me? I don’t deserve this!”
Ever been there? I sure have.
I remember one time feeling so disappointed and discouraged with a major health issue which God had allowed. I was so upset and found myself complaining an awful lot. I wanted to be thankful in all things as it says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, but just couldn’t seem to get there.
Finally, God showed me why I was having such a hard time being grateful:
I was simply holding onto my “right” to be disappointed.
Rights? What Rights?
I have no rights! I gave the right to live life my way when I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. He bought me with His precious blood—all of me. I am His now. I belong to Him.
You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. (1 Cor 6:19-20 NLT)
God has pointed out to me many times that it’s okay to be disappointed as long as I don’t become discontented. I have no right to complain. He has shown me that I don’t have to like or understand why He has allowed a “negative” circumstance, but to accept it as part of His perfect plan.
I have no right to be angry. I have no right to resist or fight God (Ps 46:10). I’m not saying it’s wrong to struggle. It does take time to process and work through difficulties. Even Jesus struggled in the Garden of Gethsemane.
But God wants us to work toward a “Not my will, but Your will” mentality.
In our prosperity-minded culture, it’s so easy to think that we deserve blessings from God (=no hardships)—especially if we are walking rightly with the Lord. But like it or not—you and I don’t deserve a break today! Sorry, McDonalds and L’Oreal. God does bless us in many ways, but
He does not owe us anything. We are the ones who owe Him!
He is the holy Creator, the One in control. He has ALL the rights to everything.
But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use? (Rom 9:20-21)
Yet amazingly God does give us some rights through Jesus.
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. (Jn 1:12, emphasis added)
Being His child includes the right to:
- Personally interact and relate with Him.
- Protection, provision, and patience from a loving heavenly Parent.
- Go to Him in our time of need (Heb 4:16).
- Share an inheritance in His Kingdom with others belonging to Him (Col 1:12).
- Escape forever misery in hell to forever bliss in heaven.
When we think of it this way, that we belong to the God of the universe with all these benefits, it’s really not that hard to surrender to His ways.
So until next time my friends, when you think you’re not getting your “just” due, don’t get upset (or at least don’t stay there). Don’t think you have the right to stay upset with God. Rather humble yourself and be grateful that God didn’t give you what you truly deserve—hell. Instead, He gives you a way to be His child—forever cherished from this moment on.
Personally, I kind of like belonging to the Lover of my soul—even if it means giving up my so-called rights!
If you are not sure you are a child of God go here
Helpful Blogs
Surrender series
Submission: A BEAUTIFUL Word
A Lopsided View of God
5 Reasons Why God’s Way is Best
Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.