Fighting For My Rights

God has been speaking to me lately about giving up my rights.

The right to be appreciated, the right to be right, the right to have my life be perfect.

I have been reading Nancy Leigh Demoss' book, "Lies Women Believe and the Truth That Sets Them Free" . The morning that we went to get our Christmas pictures printed out I read chapter 3 where she talked about the lie, "I have my rights." God really spoke to me (again) about how many times I get uptight and upset because I think that it is 'my right' to do so. I find myself daily fighting this lie.

And this particular day was no exception. After we picked up our Christmas family photo prints, I was disappointed when I looked at them and saw the color was so horrible that almost everyone in our family looked like they had red hair. Immediately my fight for my rights flared up. I had paid for these, my little home printer did better, I should bring them back....... And then I remembered the life lesson that God has been teaching me, the lie that I HAVE MY RIGHTS. I then told Mark that it was a good thing that I had read what I had this morning because now I could put it into practice. So we just left it and started sending out the cards. Later I had talked to a friend who had also had similar problems with her pictures in a different store. We came to the conclusion that it is only a picture, and that they will probably end up being thrown out anyway after awhile.

But I find that so many things that I 'fight' for are so meaningless in the end. In eternity they are not really going to matter. Even though I can justify it in my mind, I need to ask myself the question more often, "Am I reflecting Christ in my attitude and my actions?" I am sorry to say that many times the answer is no. With my family, friends, acquaintances and even perfect strangers I fail. But I am thankful that God's mercies are new every morning and that when we come humbly to Him He offers us another chance. And I hope that one day I learn to stop and think before I demand 'my rights.

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit,

but in lowliness of mind

let each esteem others better than himself.

Let each of you look out not only for his own interests,

but also for the interests of others.

Philippians 2:1-4