There are three words in the English language that I’m beginning to loathe. Those words are “You Deserve It!” How many times have you heard those words. “Buy yourself a new outfit. You deserve it!” “Take a vacation. You deserve it!” Even the old McDonald’s commercials used it, remember? “You deserve a break today….at McDonald’s!” and L’oreal’s tagline is “I’m worth it”
It makes us feel good right? We work hard (some harder than others) we tell ourselves we deserve a break so we get a kit kat. We deserve a vacation so we go into debt. The list goes on and on.
Something I just can’t seem to get over is this….
The king of the world. The King of all kings. The maker of heaven, earth, stars, creation, all the palaces and all the riches in the world….Yes this guy. This same guy who’s majesty deserves the highest kingdom on the highest throne WILLINGLY left his throne in heaven and put on imperfect and flawed skin and bone to be born IN A STINKY MANGER BESIDE COWS AND DONKEYS.
Can we just take a moment and think about that!!
If nothing else in the gospel story rocks your world this has to.
There was no room for the king of the universe to even stay at an inn the night he was born. I’m sure Mary was thinking, God you told me I was going to have your child and I can’t even get a hotel room on the night of his birth?
I think there was a reason the most DESERVING person of a palace was born in a stinky manger. To teach us to think of ourselves a little less.
Humility. It’s a tough word to grasp in a world where everyone is fighting to be the best. But this simple picture of the lord of lords in a manger is a reminder to me every time I feel “under appreciated”
I don’t get noticed the time I worked really hard on a project
The king of the world was born in a stinky manger
I don’t get bonus I hoped for
The king of the world was born in a stinky manger
People don’t remember my name
The king of the world was born in a stinky manger
You see my point. Honestly I really don’t “deserve” anything except hell. Yet my Lord came down from heaven to take that punishment for me…even though I didn’t deserve it.
Do you find yourself in the “I deserve it” thinking trap?