Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.
7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form, 8 he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Philippians 2:5-8
After a long flight, there is nothing more soothing than a nice hot shower to reenergize the body. The only problem was there was no hot water. It was tepid at best. Not to worry, I showered, shaved and met together with the team to go out for a meal. The next morning I jumped into the shower, anticipating the day ahead and now the water was cold. Not lukewarm but stone cold. I mentioned it to the hotel staff on the way out that morning – they promised to look into it. But that night, nothing had changed. The water was still cold. It was so frustrating and I was annoyed.
But as I quickly washed off in the freezing water, I had a heart check moment. There was a part of me that wanted to storm down to the hotel reception and demand to move to another room where there was a hot shower. There was a part of me that wanted to complain because I was not getting what I had paid for or deserved. But maybe the cold water woke me up. Maybe the cold water was just what I needed to come to my senses. For while I didn’t have hot water, I had clean water to wash in. Millions in the world do not. While I could walk out into a clean hotel room, there are millions who have no place to call home and to rest safely.
How easy it is to develop an attitude of entitlement. To believe that we deserve privileges or special treatment, or that we have the right to something. This feeling or thought that, “I deserve better. I deserve more. I deserve it all. I’m entitled to more than I’m getting.”
Do you live with an entitlement attitude? Is it lurking in the shadows of your heart? Do you ever find yourself complaining about what you don’t have, rather than being thankful for what you do have? Do you feel discontent or disappointed with what life has served you? Do you ever compare yourself to others and what they have and become resentful? Do you ever doubt God’s provision in your life? These are just some of the ways that an attitude of entitlement shows up in our life.
When we notice that in ourselves, maybe it’s time to have a cold shower. To wake up and remind ourselves that we deserve nothing, but God in his grace gives us everything. We deserve punishment for our sin, God in Christ gives forgives our sin. We deserve eternal death, God in Christ gives us eternal life. Jesus, as truly God, was rightly entitled to everything. Yet as Paul reminds us, he chose to give up all he was entitled to, every divine privilege so we could experience everything his grace affords those who are not entitled to anything – a share in his glory.
As for my shower, it continued to be cold for four days before I experienced a drop of hot water. But I’m thankful for cold showers and how God used it to reveal more of himself to me and the life he desires to see in me.
TO PONDER: Where in your life have you developed a heart of entitlement rather than a heart of thankfulness and contentment?
Lord Jesus, you were willing to give up all your entitlements to give me everything. Give me a grateful, thankful heart for all you bless me with day after day. Amen