Deserve

Have you ever heard a friend say, you deserve ____? I see this all the time. You deserve to be happy. You deserve to be in the right kind of marriage/ relationship (if you are in an abusive situation, that’s different), you deserve that job, deserve that cookie (ok, maybe I’ve said that last one to myself .) How many memes have you seen that talk about what you deserve? Honestly, have you ever asked why you deserve these things? The people who are happy, who have the right relationships, with the successful careers, aren’t usually the ones focused or concerned with what they deserve because they are too busy serving other people to think about that nonsense. I think of Jesus, who died on the cross for our sins. He wasn’t telling everyone how great and perfect He was and how He deserved glory instead of death for sins He didn’t even commit (even though He had every right to say it.) No, He had one goal in life, to do the will of God the Father. That was it. 

So, maybe a better question to ask God and yourself when you hear from someone that you deserve something is to ask if you are precisely where God wants you- in your job, in your relationship, whatever situation he has you in that someone else is telling you, you deserve “more or better.” What’s more or better than being where God wants you, doing His will? Even if it’s the most challenging situation, I would rather be where God wanted to use me and teach me. 

The people who are saying, I deserve that, are sometimes entitled, selfish, blame-shifting, focused on silly things, not wanting to serve others in their jobs or relationships, but want to serve themselves. They are entirely unsettled and always looking for the next “best” thing. 

They think they should get things because they are a person. They are mixing worth and opportunity. Every person has worth and value, and it’s not based on what you do. Every person also has an opportunity to do things they are called to do and have choices to make regarding those opportunities. Be careful before you run from an opportunity God has given you. Don’t give up, don’t give in, because I promise you, if you run from what God has for you, you won’t be happier.

Photo by Mareko Tamaleaa on Unsplash