I’m stuck on old commercials – actually on commercials in general.
That line, “You deserve a break today,” is from a McDonalds commercial from the early ’70’s. Ancient history – I know. I suppose there is a positive bent to it – a sense of well-being, positive self-esteem, a sense of personal value.
The down side is that it communicates a sense of entitlement – that I deserve something. I wonder what I ever did that would cause McDonalds to think I deserved a break. To what am I really entitled? A home? a car? a cell phone? food? clothes? a job?
One of the problems with entitlement is that I lose gratitude. If I deserve it, I have some how earned it and there is no one to thank but myself. That in turn makes me even more full of myself.
The Bible communicates that we have worth. But then I have to ask, what determines my worth. A shirt is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. The same is true of all goods and services. A car wash is worth what someone is willing to pay another to do it. Could it be that my worth is determined mostly by what someone is willing to pay for me.
My worth is set – I am worth what God was willing to pay for me. He was willing to send His Son to die for me. That makes me rather valuable in the eyes of God. I may have no value to others but in God’s eyes, I am worth the price of His Son.
That speaks to what I am worth – not to what I deserve. Everything I have is a gift. Everything I have is better than what I deserve.
I have had at least two breaks today – each was with a different friend. I didn’t deserve the breaks nor do I deserve the friends. I am very thankful for those two breaks and for the two friends. Both were gifts – expressions of God’s grace and affirmation that I have value to Him.
