We, Americans, are all about “rights”, aren’t we? We have the supposed right to say what we believe, we have the right to practice the religion of our choice, we have the right to school our children at home (albeit, different states have different rules to follow on that one) …. and the list could go on and on. We have a lot of rights in this country, that’s for sure. Most of them are good and are nice to have. There are many countries in the world which don’t have the rights that we take for granted. And we need to remember to thank the Lord for these rights and for living in a country that has them.
Lets go beyond being an American. What about being a Christian? By stating we are one, we acknowledge that “this world is not our home”. And if this world is not our home, then we belong some where else. And if we belong some where else, then we are governed by another. God is clear that we are to obey the laws of the land and we show honor to those set in authority over us. As Christians, God has the absolute authority over us, doesn’t He? But it’s really more than authority. It’s Lordship. He is our Lord and we are under Him. And if we are “under” that person, do we still have “rights”? Let’s take a look.
* An employee is under the authority of their boss. And yet, they still have rights. I don’t think I need to go into all the rights that they would have, because I think we can all think of some.
* A servant is a little less than an employee. Perhaps they get payed for their work or maybe just “room and board”. And yet, they still have rights. Not as many as the employee, but they still have some. Like shelter, food, water, clothing….
* A slave is at the very bottom. They have no rights (I’m not talking about “human rights” here. Bare with me and I’ll explain in a bit). They are owned by their master and, right or wrong, their master can choose things for them at will. They can choose to feed them or not. To clothe them or not. To provide shelter for them or not.
I propose that we are like slaves under God. Think about it. We asked Him to be Lord over us. That means that He makes decisions for us, He protects us. We ask Him to come into our heart and to guide us in this life. In essence, He possesses us. An employee and a servant aren’t possessed. But a slave is. A slave has no rights. And, quite frankly, neither do we. If our bodies truly are God’s, then do we have the right to be healthy? If our money is His, do we have the right to spend it without His approval? If everything we are and have, are His, shouldn’t He be making the decisions for us?
This is something I’ve been learning. I really don’t have the right for anything. Where doesn’t it state that I have the right to have children? Or a good husband? Or a nice house? Or a healthy body? The answer is no .where. If the Lord wants to give them to me, that’s wonderful. But if He decides not to, should I complain and grumble? If He is Lord over me, isn’t it His decision?
I’ve come to the conclusion that it is not my right. I do not have the right for anything in this life. My life is God’s to do with what He chooses. And it is my “right”, my joy, my gift to say “yes Lord”.