I Deserve


'I Deserve'   Just two little words; but two of the largest, loudest words in the human vocabulary, no matter how they are translated;
two words that have destroyed so many lives.

“I Deserve" can either be the tyrant’s beller, or the victims plea. Sometimes, it will be the plea of a false-victim, making a baseless plea, hoping for a type of justice that would actually be an injustice. This is why you and I need to sort out our motives when we hear ourselves thinking these two powerful words. 
Hitler thought: “I deserve.” So do today's arrogant abusers. 
Every rapist, child molester, drug-user, bank robber and every person choosing abortion has thought it and acted upon it. 

Let’s look at a biblical clash of ‘I deserve’. 

James 5: 
1 Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail over the misery to come upon you. 
2 Your riches have rotted and moths have eaten your clothes. 
3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and consume your flesh like fire. You have hoarded treasure in the last days. 
4 Look, the wages you withheld from the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. 
   The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts. 
5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter. 
6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous, who did not resist you. 

This scripture talks about landowners who hired people to do their work and then shorted their wages. 
Both groups, the owners and the laborers, each thought ‘I deserve’. But the owners did not give what they promised, or hired the workers under duress. 
The other group rightly felt cheated and called out to God, and God has agreed with them. 
Those people were doomed, including the wives who enjoyed having so much while the laborers had so little. 

So, is it a sin to be rich? No, not in itself. 
There are a few people who cannot be poor, because they are bright, hardworking and they can spot circumstances where legitimate profit is available. 
Plus, if they pay fair wages and share with the poor, God will bless them further.

"I deserve."
Who deserves what? 
Does 'I need' translate into 'I deserve'? Only if you are a child or an incapacitated adult.
All people need to eat, but do all people deserve to eat? What about those who refuse to work? No.

We deserve what God says we deserve. We deserve what the law says we deserve, if it doesn’t violate God’s will. 
US law allows many things that could put our souls into eternal hell. 
Misused, "I deserve" destroys people, families, people-groups and nations. 
"I deserve" is most-used by those who believe they have a right to feel good all the time. 

Don't we have a right to deserve what someone else has promised? Yes, if it isn’t illegal or immoral.
US law says that contracts to perform illegal acts or deliver illegal good are not enforceable by law. 

Over the years, 911 operators have received calls about stolen drugs. The caller is arrested. Is that fair? Yes, because it is wrong to own illegal drugs. 
What about that thief? I don’t know if that theft can be prosecuted as theft, but it can be prosecuted as possession of illegal drugs, AND yes, I believe God counts that as thievery, though the ‘victim’ will also have to answer to God for the drug use. The Bible says this about obeying government laws: 


1 Peter 2; 13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; 
14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. 

This means: Do what local laws tell you to do, unless it breaks God’s law. 
And...children can't be held responsible for promises that are outside of cultural and social norms.

"I deserve" is one of the biggest marriage-preventers and marriage killers in the world today. 
It prevents marriage, by people believing they have a right to sex outside of a lifelong marriage. 
Try this: https://the32112020.com/1_126_confirmed-bachelors.html 

"I deserve" destroys marriages multiple ways. I urge you, the next time you argue with your spouse, when one is pressing a ‘right’ they are claiming, to say, “You apparently think you deserve _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. Tell me why you think you deserve it. What command has God given; what promise have I made, or what social norm do you believe entitles you to make this claim?" 

"I deserve" is the firstborn of "I want".

Hey folks, every marital dispute is a trial of sorts. Demand mandate, promise, evidence or precedence that would justify the claim. 
Be smart. 

Most of all listen to the self-voice in your head that screams ‘I DESERVE’. Dissect your motive and restrain and retrain yourself as needed.
To balance our lives, we also need to remember what we each deserve for the mistakes we've made.