I have My Rights!!

How many times have we heard those words "I HAVE MY RIGHTS!!"?  We Americans, at least those of us in the United States, like our Rights.  I have heard people say that certain things are our God given rights! 

We have the Declaration of Independence which reads in part:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, . . .

From the Supreme Court discision in Miranda Vs. Arizon (and others) we get "The Miranda Rights" we all hear on police shows and/or heard if arrested or detained by Law enforcement.

You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have a right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you.

Have you every thought about our  rights as believers?  I had not really until we started a program at church aimed at a couple of things which I will not go into but the title of the program is "Fresh Start".  One of the devotionals for the week include this passage

Genesis 26:17 - 33 (NCV) ¹⁷So Isaac left that place and camped in the Valley of Gerar and lived there.  ¹⁸Long before this time Abraham had dug many wells, but after he died, the Philistines filled them with dirt. So Isaac dug those wells again and gave them the same names his father had given them.  ¹⁹Isaac’s servants dug a well in the valley, from which a spring of water flowed.  ²⁰But the herdsmen of Gerar argued with them and said, “This water is ours.” So Isaac named that well Argue because they argued with him.  ²¹Then his servants dug another well. When the people also argued about it, Isaac named that well Fight.  ²²He moved from there and dug another well. No one argued about this one, so he named it Room Enough. Isaac said, “Now the LORD has made room for us, and we will be successful in this land.” ²³From there Isaac went to Beersheba.  ²⁴The LORD appeared to him that night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Don’t be afraid, because I am with you. I will bless you and give you many descendants because of my servant Abraham.”  ²⁵So Isaac built an altar and worshiped the LORD there. He also made a camp there, and his servants dug a well. ²⁶Abimelech came from Gerar to see Isaac. He brought with him Ahuzzath, who advised him, and Phicol, the commander of his army.  ²⁷Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to see me? You were my enemy and forced me to leave your country.” ²⁸They answered, “Now we know that the LORD is with you. Let us swear an oath to each other. Let us make an agreement with you  ²⁹that since we did not hurt you, you will not hurt us. We were good to you and sent you away in peace. Now the LORD has blessed you.” ³⁰So Isaac prepared food for them, and they all ate and drank.  ³¹Early the next morning the men swore an oath to each other. Then Isaac sent them away, and they left in peace. ³²That day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug, saying, “We found water in that well.”  ³³So Isaac named it Shibah^£ and that city is called Beersheba even now.

This passage gives us an example of our rights; look at verse 18; the wells Isaac was reopening were dug by his Daddy!  By all rights the wells were his by inheritance!  Yet; each time the locals argued that the water was their's Isaac moved on and dug another well again the locals argued that the well was their's and Isaac and his people moved on.  They dug a third well; which they were able to use and keep.  You might at this point be saying "Old man what in the world are you wondering about?  What are you saying?"  

Well let me give you another example from the New Testament!  That would be the example of Jesus.  In the hours before and while on the cross we see Jesus give up his rights to His Godship and His Rights as an inocent person; remember Jesus was WITHOUT SIN!  If you want to see this example read Starting at Matthew 26:47.


Philippians 4:5 Give us another way to look at the idea "Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand." (NKJV)   We are not letting our gentleness be known if we are demanding our rights.  How can you let your gentleness be known in the coming days and months?