Mine!

     For anyone who is around children it does not take long for you to hear three little words, “That’s not fair!” Just try to split anything up between two children and they will fight all day over who got the bigger piece. They will fight even if the difference is only a millimeter.

      As adults we think that we are above this yet our actions tell another story.  We feel as if we are entitled to anything that we want. We will positively snarl at anyone who gets close to anything that we think is ours.

     In the Church, where we are supposed to be above it all, yet we are little better. We hold grudges over things that don’t matter anymore, if they ever did. Congregations have split over the color of the cushions in the pews.  Don’t let anyone cross us, or we will whine that we are not getting our rights.

     The great preacher from another era Harry Ironsides told a story about a church meeting that he had attended when he was a child. Harry said that he had gone to the church one night with his mother. Harry said that it was not uncommon for him to accompany his mother to church but that this night was not a night that they usually went to church.

     Young Harry sat quietly in the pew next to his mother listening as the adults argued bitterly.  After a while a young man stood up and demanded, “I don’t care about the rest of you I just want my rights!” The congregation was momentarily silenced by the outburst. An Old Irishman who had been sitting at the back of the hall filled the silence by asking, “Your rights? Did you say your rights Lad?” A little softer the young man replied,” That’s right, I want my rights! I want them and I’ll have them!”  Sadly the Old Irishman answered him,” The Lord Jesus did not come for your rights son; He came for your wrongs!” Dejectedly the young man slowly sat down saying,” Your right, your right.”

     How long will it take us to realize that we are held to a higher standard?  How long will it take us to remember that we have to hold everything loosely, that they are temporal, that we can’t take them with us? How long till our actions match our identity in Christ?  

     Jesus gives us a good glimpse of how we are to live our lives. In the Gospel of Luke; Jesus asks his disciples a question that puts thing into perspective. Jesus asks, "Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.' “Luke 17:7-10

     When did we forget that we are not our own? Were we not bought at a price? If this were all that it is, maybe, just maybe there would be a reason to say that things are not fair. If it were all, maybe we would be justified in demanding our rights. That time has passed however. When Christ came to us we gave up those rights to follow him. We are only doing our duty.