I don’t “deserve” anything, so I am grateful for everything.

What do you deserve? Or asked another way, what are you entitled to?

In our culture, we are asked this ALL. THE. TIME. in some way.

We deserve a raise.

We deserve a break from our children.

We deserve a donut today.

We are entitled to respect.

We are entitled to recognition.

We are entitled to voice our opinion.

We deserve a nice house and clothes.

We are entitled to having our food be prepared exactly as we have requested it at the neighborhood burger joint.

Are you entitled to be treated fairly by your spouse, friends, boss, or children? This is a tough one...

The ugly truth is that we are not entitled to any of the things listed above. The only thing we are entitled to is a cross. And because of Jesus, we don’t have to experience that. But we do get to experience heaven, the greatest gift that we do not deserve.

The things we have in this world will all go away; relationships as we know them here, money, our house, clothes, education, and our bodies. As humans, we are not entitled to happiness or riches, health or intelligence. It’s hard to explain, but I look at everything as a gift and as a temporary state. The only thing in this life that can’t be taken away from you is your relationship with God. That’s the only thing.

Consider this the next time someone cuts you off in traffic or that you don’t get a thank you for something you did for someone. Putting others first and stopping your own feelings of entitlement can be the key to harnessing anger, our tongue, jealousy, pride, greed, lust, and so many other thoughts that can be damaging.

When we let go of entitlement, we open the door for humility, gratefulness, and grace.

Paul said it like this in Phillipians 3:8

“More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ.”

And he reminds us that Christ laid down his own entitlements so that we might share in his glory (Philippians 2:5–8).

Today, I’m encouraging you to rest in God’s goodness and perfect timing. Be content in what he chooses to give, and what he chooses to withhold, find peace in humility, bask in the grace. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t pray and ask God for things. But it does mean that if he chooses to say, “No” or “Wait,” we can trust that his answers are good and loving.