rights and responsibilites

It seems like I have been coming in contact lately with people who are demanding their rights and laying aside their responsibilities.

To a certain extent, we all at some form or level participate in this - because of our carnal nature.

Larry Norman used to sing, "life is filled with guns and war and everyone gets trampled on the floor..."

No matter where you turn these days, people are fighting. Whether it be in an extreme case like Afghanistan and other hots spots around the world, or disagreeing over a bill with your mechanic, or something at the church, turmoil is in the air.

Sometimes even godly people can lose their way and focus in on that which is their "right" and forget that Jesus has called us to not focus on our "rights" but to keep to the forefront our responsibilities.

Jesus himself said in Mark 10:45, "For the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many."

As a follower of Christ and a member of a local church, I can have a lot of "rights" but to fully participate in the life and vision of a congregation, I must constantly lay aside those rights and look for ways to walk in humility.

In football, they tell the offensive line, no matter how big you are, stay low. So that you can have leverage, stay low.

No matter how big you get in life, stay low. No matter what title you have in front of your name, how much money you have in the bank, no matter how long you have attended our church, or how many people know who you are, stay low.

The moment you use your knowledge, prestige, power, (how long you have been at our church), or resources to attempt to pound your chest and stomp your feet and insist on your "rights" it will be made very clear by what place you are going from.

It's not a pretty place, and it breaks my heart.

Rights. Responsibilities. "I have my rights," we say. Yes, we do. But don't we also have a responsibility to leave this world a better place? More loving. More caring. More sincere.

I sense the words of Jesus coming into play here, "come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Let's all strive to walk in humility, to walk in dignity and pick up our responsibilities and lay aide our rights.