I'm writing today as a way to ponder with you. I hope you have some thoughts, and we can sharpen one another by discussing them. (Take it to e-mail if you don't wish to respond in this forum. I'm good with that too.)
So this mess in my brain, it started as a simple enough conversation. Someone recently said to a friend of mine, "Oh, I hope you have a wonderful vacation. You really deserve it." My friend said the comment struck her funny. She said she wanted to ask, "Do I?"
What a funny word: DESERVE. I've been thinking about it all week. I am remembering several instances in the Bible where God tells those seeking him that he will not treat them as their sins deserve. In miraculous acts of grace, he pardons his people time and time again. I've found plenty of instances where we deserve a negative outcome. Are there ever times when we DESERVE a positive one? For instance, maybe we deserve to get paid by our employer for our week of work. I see the reasoning in that. There is a sense of justice of a sum of money being exchanged for effort and dedication. I have a hard time with coming up with other examples. Our culture seems to be laden with a deep sense of needing accolades (myself included sometimes). In our search to be validated we bring along a sense of entitlement. What are we truly entitled to? In other words: what do you deserve?
So this mess in my brain, it started as a simple enough conversation. Someone recently said to a friend of mine, "Oh, I hope you have a wonderful vacation. You really deserve it." My friend said the comment struck her funny. She said she wanted to ask, "Do I?"
What a funny word: DESERVE. I've been thinking about it all week. I am remembering several instances in the Bible where God tells those seeking him that he will not treat them as their sins deserve. In miraculous acts of grace, he pardons his people time and time again. I've found plenty of instances where we deserve a negative outcome. Are there ever times when we DESERVE a positive one? For instance, maybe we deserve to get paid by our employer for our week of work. I see the reasoning in that. There is a sense of justice of a sum of money being exchanged for effort and dedication. I have a hard time with coming up with other examples. Our culture seems to be laden with a deep sense of needing accolades (myself included sometimes). In our search to be validated we bring along a sense of entitlement. What are we truly entitled to? In other words: what do you deserve?
7 comments:
Hi Tami-Mutual-Friend-of-Mrs.Smith! This post sent me scurrying for my concordance and my dictionary, but I only came up with more questions, not answers!
I am wondering if "deserve" doesn't rest easily in the hearts of evangelicals because we've been told forever how undeserving we are of Christ's death for us - and rightly so.
But my dictionary said deserve means "to be worthy of." I have a hard time considering myself "worthy" too, but I believe in my head (and sometimes in my heart) that God considers me to be of great worth - or why else would He send His Son to redeem me?
If we consider ourselves to be of Great Worth in God's eyes, is it any easier to consider ourselves deserving of any blessings that might come our way?
Dunno...just wondering. Glad to find you here! (Love the pix of your fam!)
Tonya, hello! I'm so happy to see you here and have you participate with me! Thanks for your thoughts, and for the blessing of your pressence.
Vonda - Thanks for the Colossians verse. I haven't been there recently. I love the things God builds into us as a result of our aligning ourselves with his way of thinking and living. I love the blessings that flow as a natural result of our choices, or as a sheer gift from his hand.
A friend who replied by e-mail said "I think children and those unable to care for themselves (say, very old, very sick, mentally handicapped, etc.) deserve certain things, food, love, care, shelter, etc." Would you agree with that?
As I'm formulating more of a thought about this matter, most of the things that I would consider people "deserving" would be character traits, or gifts of fuller life. I still have a hard time with "deserve" when it comes to material posessions or wealth. Do you agree that those are the times it is hard for you to hear others use the term "deserve"?
I love your thoughts on this! I've had the same thoughts myself. I'm bothered by our culture's sense of entitlement.
I'm currently "teaching." Gotta love computer time. I'm in the midst of people whom I believe deserve to live in this country, contrary to the will of some who think that these people in my midst are taking from some pile that they deserve to keep for themselves. I think immigrants deserve to be shared with. This thought, for me, doesn't come from any contemplation at the moment. Rather, it's a long-held belief of mine. I'll certainly give this more thought and see where it leads.
Okay, my further thoughts on deservedness take another step. No matter where we fall in deciding what we may or may not deserve and why, I think the next important question is how we deal with not getting what we think we deserve. I think this second question blends itself into the first, paralyzing us from verbalizing what we deserve. We skip over it (if we think we're mature) and move on to sucking it up. I think they are both important questions. I think we should separate them and ask both.
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