We live in a world that constantly tells us:
“You deserve it.”
“You worked hard.”
“You earned this.”
“You’re owed more.”
And we believe it—especially after giving our best, enduring long nights, and pushing through challenges. But if we strip back the noise and really ask ourselves, “What do I actually deserve?”—the answer might humble us.
The Weight of What We Deserve
According to Scripture, what we truly deserve is sobering:
“For the wages of sin is death…”
—Romans 6:23a (KJV)
We don’t like to talk about it. But even our best efforts fall short of God’s perfection. Without His mercy, we stand deserving of judgment—not reward.
That’s not to diminish your hard work, your dedication, or your sacrifices. It’s to remind us that apart from God’s grace, our efforts could never earn the favor we so often believe we deserve.
What We’ve Been Given Instead
But here’s the beauty of the gospel:
“…but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
—Romans 6:23b (KJV)
God didn’t give us what we deserved. He gave us what we never could’ve earned—mercy, grace, love, and eternal life. And not because of our effort, but because of Christ’s sacrifice.
Every breath, every blessing, every answered prayer—it’s all grace.
The Danger of Entitlement
When we believe we are owed something, we begin to treat God’s gifts as expectations instead of blessings. Entitlement breeds resentment, while gratitude breeds worship.
Entitlement says, “I deserve more.”
Gratitude says, “I don’t deserve this, yet God still gave it.”
Let’s not forget the story of the prodigal son’s older brother (Luke 15). He stayed, worked hard, followed the rules—but grew bitter when grace was given to someone he deemed less deserving. That bitterness stemmed from entitlement, not love.
Living with Humble Gratitude
The antidote to “I deserve” is humble gratitude.
- Instead of demanding, we thank.
- Instead of striving for approval, we rest in God’s acceptance through Christ.
- Instead of clinging to what we think is owed to us, we embrace what has already been freely given.
In the End…
You don’t have to earn your worth. You don’t have to fight for favor.
You already have it—in Jesus.
We may think we deserve the world.
But because of Jesus, we’ve been given something far greater: grace.
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