Demanding what is "due" us

As Christians, we tend to find comfort in the multitude of promises throughout scripture that assure us that the Lord looks out for His faithful servants, walking us through periods of trial and blessing us with those things that are truly good.

So often, it seems, we speak of these promises in scripture as if they are a kind of deal that God made with us, as if we are somehow an equal party with Him. I have even heard preachers use language that hints at the idea that we can hold God accountable to His promises when we pray for His hand upon our lives. “Ask boldly!” they urge us. “The Lord has promised and the blessing is yours to take if you ask for it unabashedly and with confidence.”

While I do not deny that God does and will honor all covenants and promises – and that this is an assurance in which believers can take great comfort – and I do believe that we are to bring our requests and petitions to the Lord with the confidence that He hears them, I think it is also every bit as important to remember that God owes us nothing. He owes us no such special treatment. He is not beholden to us in any way.

Consider what Jesus tells his disciplines in Luke 17:1-10:
“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.’”

I know that I have been guilty of demanding plush treatment from God, making the argument to Him: “But I’ve tried to do everything right! Why don’t I deserve this blessing?” or “Look at all I have done for you – haven’t I earned respite from this trial?” In those times, I am no different from that demanding servant.

Of course, in 21st century America, the idea of slavery or servitude to another human being is abhorable – and rightly so. But that democratic thinking should not spill over into our understanding of the Creator of the Universe. All men are created equal – but man is not equal to God, nor do we have the right to demand from Him what we feel our service has earned us. Are we not all servants of the Most High? Is it not the place of the servant to serve rather than be served? At what point are we forgetting our place at the feet of God when we demand His blessings simply because we have done the work we were created to do?

I would encourage you to examine your own prayers and expectations of God’s gifts in your life, and ask yourself if you are trying to bring an account sheet before the Lord to remind Him of what He owes you, or if you are approaching each request with the humility and awe of one who is honored just to be a servant in the Kingdom.