Here's a consistently re-occuring theme in my life right now: rights. As usual I'm in the middle of about ten different books, and in two days I came to the subject of rights in two of them.
Both were talking about the same thing. Their point was that when it comes to the way we think of ourselves and deal with other people, it's very important that we don't have the mindset of asserting our own rights. This is hugely counter cultural in America especially, I think. Most poignantly for women, with the feminist movement having become such a big deal. We're taught to stand up for ourselves and and never allow people to walk over us. I'm realizing how much I've bought into this myself. If people don't treat me the way I think I deserve to be treated, I can be very unforgiving about it.
So it's hitting me rather hard to think that I don't really deserve to be treated any certain way in the first place. And that even when all fairness would say that I do have certain rights, it's not my place to assert them. One of my books pointed to the story of Jonah as an example. Jonah was big on his own rights, not thinking he should have to go to a country he didn't like, or have to suffer harsh weather conditions, or have to forgive people who had done terrible things. Repeatedly God said to him, "What right do you have to be angry?" This just brought it home to me how little God values rights. He gives things as he chooses, not because we deserve them, but because He wants to. Not even being a Christian is enough to earn us any amount of rights before God.
This concept comes in especially handy when it comes to relationships (and I don't mean just with boys, I mean with everyone). Elisabeth Elliot points out that a marriage only works when each person is equally dedicated to surrendering their own rights and supporting the other persons. This means even when the other person, be that my mom, my boss, or my friend, is demanding their own rights and paying no attention to mine, I have to give in willingly. And without bitterness, without reminding myself that this isn't fair. I have to be so focused on the other person being happy and getting what they "deserve" that I don't even notice my own rights. That's what it means to really and trully love someone, and I've been missing it all this time.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
it's chap sticks and chapped lips and things like chemestry
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5 comments:
Woah, really interesting thoughts here.
I guess the concept that we all have rights is a rather . . . human idea.
The book of Jonah of an example for this is a really good choice. We just finished a study of Jonah at church, and this really makes sense with it.
That's very true.
America has become so individualistic it seems that anyone has the right (or at least demands it) to think or act in any way they choose regardless of how rediculous, chaotic, or bizarre as long as it falls inside the boundaries of law.
For instance, I get tired fast of people who can't raise children. People who SHOULDN'T raise children, I should say....
And any time someone suggests they should be a better parent, they blow up on them. They say "are you telling me how to raise my children?", as though such a thing were ridiculous and unnecessary.
It should be unnecessary. All parents should be fully capable of raising a happy, healthy child who grows up to be a respectable contributing member of society.
Anyway, yeah I definitely see where you're coming from, Emily.
On the other hand, there ARE some rights that I think should be defended and fought for.
Moses, for instance, freed his people from slavery.
If no one payed attention to rights they think they should have, the world would be in chaos.
There would be tyrants everywhere sucking the life out of all their underlings.
America wouldn't exist at all, for example.
Even if it did, we'd still have slavery.
Things like that...
But on the other hand, some might say that Christians and people of all religions should have the right to congregate and practice their beliefs.
The book of Revelation on the other hand says there will be a time when Christianity is outlawed and believers will be hunted down.
So its sketchy...
Do we have the "right" to still believe and practice things when our laws and government forbid it?
Are real "rights" only subject to God' will?
And if God makes it more difficult for people to exercise these rights, does it necessarily mean He's taking away our rights?
Or that He wants us to fight for them?
This is getting complicated fast...
(You're right, Emily. I can definitely think myself into a knot. :P)
Haha.. on the other, less religious side of the spectrum though, there are still people who fight for rights they don't actually have, like you mentioned.
For instance, kids talking back to their parents, insisting they have the right to think or act the way they want.
That can get pretty bad...
And its the same with adults too...
Like racists, for example...
We have people who think America doesn't have systems that treat minorities fairly. It seems like unless everyone went completely out of their way to make sure a set number of people from every single race are put into every category of employment, they'll be perpetually unhappy.
But that's just an observation.
sorry about the length of that..
the last part might've been a bit harsh too.
yeah, this is all very interesting. :)
The first thing that popped into my head was about slavery, actually (haha - we're watching Amazing Grace tonight, YAY!). honestly, I think there are some rights that God has set into nature, that just ought to be obvious to all people. like one person isn't better than another person because of how they look or where they were born or who there parents are, or anything like that.
but then there are rights (I think these are more what you're talking about) that are really just privileges or conveniences, and we somehow believe we are entitled to them. whether other people are or not. our comfort and convenience are higher than anybody else's. and this goes directly against the Bible and God, and Jesus demonstrated that by his lifestyle pretty well.
our generation has been nicknamed the "Entitlement Generation" because we're so especially good at believing we deserve the best. the big problem with it is that we don't have to do anything to merit the Best - we just naturally deserve it. and that's ridiculous.
haha we talked about this in Sunday School for a couple of weeks and got pretty fired up about it. :)
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