Entitlement

Who has a claim against me that I must pay?
    Everything under heaven belongs to me

Job 41:11

I often smile at this passage from the book of Job. It is part of God’s response to Job near the end of the book after Job and his friends have been discussing and arguing over theology, and the cause of suffering. Job’s friends typically came around to the conclusion that Job had done something to merit God’s punishment, otherwise, their sense of God’s fairness and judgment would be challenged. Surely God was responding, they believed, to something that Job had done, or not done, to deserve such terrible circumstances. God doesn’t cause our pain, but he can help us to redeem it for the benefit of us and others.

Job, on the other hand, was trying to work through his own actions and thoughts, and came to the conclusion that he had not really done anything wrong particularly, and he was questioning God about his situation. He wondered what he must to reverse God’s curse on him. Finally he just wondered if God cared at all for him.

We, at least I, do the same kind of stuff. Somewhere in our theology, we impose our sense of fairness and justice on God, and ultimately justify ourselves. We then believe that God should respond to us in a certain way. If He does not, we question His goodness or even His power. In other words, we feel entitled to answers from God. He owes us an explanation for unanswered prayers!

I keep saying “we” here. Maybe it is just me who often falls into this sense of entitlement (but I really don’t think so J). It is subtle, and I have to really question myself at times, but yes, sometimes I get this ridiculous sense of entitlement from the Creator and sovereign God of the universe. Then I reflect on God’s words to Job.

 Who has a claim against me that I must pay?
    Everything under heaven belongs to me

Who am I to question God? It is really pretty laughable when I really think about it. Sometimes I also sit back and try to think of God’s take on it.

 “Poor John” He may be saying, “he really thinks I owe him something. I have told him that I love him, and I will never leave him, but it is never enough for that one. I will carry him through whatever he faces, he just doesn’t see that now. Some day he will”

Prayer: Forgive my sense of entitlement. Thank you for loving us right where we are. Your promises hold true no matter what, Amen