Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Entitlement & Misery

I am not a morning person - at least not for the first 30 minutes or so. It seems like indwelling sin is awake as soon as the alarm goes off but my new nature is still sleeping until a half-hour has passed. It was this way this morning.

I was "down" and just not too happy about life. As I drove to breakfast to meet with my good friend Jeff I sensed the Spirit of God addressing me. It went something like this -

"Why are you unhappy?"
I guess because I want something and I don't have it.
"Do you deserve ______?"
No.
"What do you deserve?"
Nothing. Well, worse - hell that is.
"What do you have?"
Jesus. Forgiveness, eternal life with God, his sovereign care over my life, a relationship with the most excellent being ever. ..... Oh how quickly I forget this. ..... Thank you God for what I have! Now I am happy!

I feel so much better!

I so often experience these struggles and so often need the reminder of the gospel.

I call this my entitlement attitude.

The gospel kills it and that's a good thing. May you be happy today not in having _____. But in having what you don't deserve, Jesus! May your entitlement attitude perish and gospel-centered gratitude prevail!

2 comments:

Josh said...

Amen brother! I find this to be true in my life as well. There are days that I have a true perspective which you have described here, and there are other days in which I fail to see the freedom that Christ has brought me through the gospel. It reminds me that in heaven there will be no more struggles with sin, and it is all because of Jesus' finished work for us. (Romans 7:25)

Russell said...

That was so well said. Thanks for the reminder. Hopefully I'll remember it during my next bout with "entitlement attitude" :-)