Are you Willing to
Give Up?
“I’ve got my rights!” We’ve all said something like that
at one time or another. Our rights are important to us. It means, we deserve
consideration and respect. We feel discontented and angry when our rights are
denied. Like it or not, we must be willing to give up our rights. It may be
legitimate to possess certain items, hold certain positions, or aspire certain
benefits. But we must be willing to give up our rights for Jesus’ sake, even as
He gave up His rights when He became a man (see Philippians 2: 6-7).
We can follow the pattern Jesus showed us in yielding
our rights to God. We are not our own; we are under God’s mercy. All that
belongs to us were given to us. We are stewards of all that is in our
possession, including our good environment, training and health. There is
nothing wrong therefore in yielding our rights to God. Most quarrels result
from someone violating someone’s rights. If we hold onto our rights too
tightly, we will be creating more tension and subsequent quarrels.
Consider a typical home and family. The father, mother,
children and others in the household will all have personal rights. If each one
of them holds tightly to his or her rights, there is bound to be some
violation. The result will be quarrels, misunderstandings, and general disturbance
of the family atmosphere. There will be more enemies in the family than loved
ones! But if the members of the family are willing to give up their personal
rights, they can then afford to be flexible and open to compromise.
The bottom line is this: we really do not lose anything
when we surrender our rights to God. We read in the Bible how Abraham laid his
beloved son, Isaac, on the altar. Abraham had every right to argue his case
when he was asked to perform such a painful task. It is very difficult to place
something you really love on the altar of sacrifice. There will be a lot of
struggle in your mind as you try to decide whether what you are doing is right
and proper. But we know that in the case of Abraham, he trusted God fully.
When we yield our rights fully trusting, we can relax
over what feels like a loss. God is interested in meeting our needs, and so
there is no need to worry. In the case of Abraham, God gave Isaac back to him
with greater blessings (see Genesis 22:10-12). Likewise, God gives us back our
privileges when we yield our rights to Him.
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