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The Fine Print
Once again, I have put my trust in the wrong place. It doesn’t matter who or what I trusted, just that they let me down. I counted on someone and they broke their promise.
Or did they? Perhaps I just heard what I wanted to hear. I often do that, you know.
For example, when I was dating, I was disappointed when guys would say “I’ll call you,” and didn’t. I’d rant and rave about how you could never trust men and what rats they were. Thinking about it realistically, it’s possible that they had every intent of calling. However, they never made a commitment to call. A commitment would have been “I promise to call you on or before .” A commitment is something where you sign on the dotted line and are held accountable for your faithfulness to your promise.
When I began work for a large multinational company, I signed an “at-will” employment agreement, which stated that either employer or employee without cause or notice could terminate the employment at will. I was still devastated when I heard that my job was being eliminated, despite my record of stellar performance. I even got outplacement assistance and a generous severance package—something that I had no “right” to expect under terms of the agreement I had signed.
Many people today do the same thing with God. They think that if they are “good,” don’t lie, don’t cheat, don’t commit murder, and give to charity, they are entitled to peace, prosperity, and wellness. These people never read the “fine print” that is in the Bible.
Being a good person is not enough to guarantee anything: not a prosperous life on Earth or eternal life in Heaven. God never said, “Keep my commandments and I promise you health and happiness,” because He knows he might not be able to deliver on this promise. He doesn’t even promise health and happiness to His own. We humans opened the gate to Satan long ago. Now, we have no right to expect the benefits of God’s kingdom.
But God, in His love for us, did make one promise and he intends to keep it. The only thing that God has ever promised us is that we will have eternal life if we believe in His Son. This is not an entitlement, it is by His grace. Aren’t you glad you can count on God to keep his promise?
© 2004 Emily Skurka All Rights Reserved
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