Well, Today I Didn't Do It!

One day a man came home from work to find chaos in his house. His three children were outside, still in their pajamas, playing in the mud. There were empty food boxes and wrappers strewn all around the front yard. The front door to the house was wide open for any and all to enter.

Inside the house, he found an even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over. In the front room, the TV was loudly blaring a cartoon channel and the family room was strewn with toys and clothing. In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink, breakfast food was spilled on the counter, dog food was spilled on the floor, a broken glass lay under the table and a small pile of sand was by the back door.

He went up the stairs, stepping over toys and clothes as he looked for his wife. He was worried she might be ill or something equally serious may have happened. He found her still curled-up in bed in her pajamas reading a novel. She looked up at him, smiled and asked how his day went.

He looked at her with bewilderment and asked, “What happened here today?”

She just smiled and answered, “You know every day when you come home from work and ask me what in the world I did today?”

“Yes.” was his skeptical reply.

She answered, “Well, today I didn't do it.”

There are two things we need to consider as they pertain to our story. One, is our expectation of what others should do for us. Two, is how we take for granted the blessings that we receive.

We live in a society addicted to entitlement program. An entitlement program is a government program that guarantees and provides benefits to a particular group.” There is nothing wrong with helping where help is needed but the idea of entitlement goes further than just helping someone. It suggests that it is a right or claim to something.” It is detrimental to a society when an element of that society believes they are owed [have a right or claim] to some government program. Likewise, it is detrimental to the spiritual well being of a Christian to believe that God owes them something.

Jesus taught that when the Christian does what is commanded of him, he has simply preformed his duty (Luke 17:7-10).

God is the God of blessing. The account of his dealings with the children of Israel while wandering in the wilderness is proof of this. He gave them water when they were thirsty (Exodus 17:1-6). He gave them food in the form of manna (Exodus 16:35) and quails (Numbers 11:31-32) when they hungry.

Also, we find the Hebrew writer using Abraham as an example of the righteous who receives blessings that come from God (Hebrews 6:13-14). Who can deny that God blesses His righteous?

The problem is that the righteous often takes these blessings for granted.

Like the husband in our story, Christians have received blessings at the hand of God so long that they have grown to expect them. The blessings have become like unto ‘entitlement programs.’ What if God decided one day to withhold His blessings that He so graciously gives? I predict we would find our lives filled with chaos.

We all seek after contentment in our lives. To have contentment, don’t expect others to do for you what you can do for yourself and don’t take for granted the blessings received.

There is no peace of mind for those who constantly fret and fume over their troubles and fail to see the blessings. The happy, fulfilled life comes to those who acknowledge in the mist of the trials of life that they are blessed and that those blessings come from God.

By Glen Young

Return to the General Articles Page

Home / Bible studies / Bible Survey / Special Studies / General Articles / Non-Bible Articles / Sermons / Sermon Outlines / Links / Questions and Answers / What Saith The Scriptures /Daily Devotional / Correspondence Courses / What is the Church of Christ / Book: Christian Growth / Website Policy / E-mail / About Me /