I Deserve Better

We've all felt that at one time or another to one degree or another, and some in an ongoing way. There are a couple of possible approaches to that. One would be to deny it. "No, you don't." And there may be some reasons to claim that. But Scripture takes a different approach.

Humans naturally tend to believe that we are the center of the universe. We are "it." Everything, figuratively, revolves around us. It's not true. So there is reason to question whether it is true that "I deserve better." But consider the case of someone who actually did deserve better. The Bible says of Jesus that "All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being" (John 1:3). Paul wrote, "From Him and through Him and to Him are all things" (Rom 11:36). Colossians says that "in Him all things hold together" (Col 1:17). That is, He is the actual center of the universe, the highest being. How did He handle that? Did He cling to "I deserve better"? In Philippians we read, "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus ..." (Php 2:5). Oh, that could be important for people who, you know, consider themselves Christ-followers. What attitude did He have that we ought to have?

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Php 2:5-8)

Notice that there is no hint of "I deserve better." He absolutely did, but He didn't claim it. He didn't regard it as "a thing to be grasped." Instead, He humbled Himself ... to death. To the worst kind of death.

Scripture does not argue here against "I deserve better" with "No, you don't." God's Word here accepts that and urges us to something better. "With humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others" (Php 2:3-4). God's Word urges us to have the attitude of Christ. When He was wronged, when He faced injustice, when He got far less than He rightly deserved, He faced it without anger. Jesus endured the cross and ignored the shame "for the joy set before Him" (Heb 12:2).

We, who are Christ-followers ... do we? Do we ignore our losses -- even our unjust losses -- considering others as more important and looking to "a better possession and a lasting one" (Heb 10:34)? Or do we angrily declare, "I deserve better"? Jesus certainly deserved better than death on the cross. If He bore that without anger or retaliation, shouldn't we? Conversely, if we refuse, can we rightly call ourselves "Christians" -- "Christ-followers"?