This morning was typical. I got up to an offensive alarm yowl. The kitties enjoyed some “door-time” in our kitchen watching the squirrels and birds hurry to gather provisions for the coming snow (I’m hopeful!). I was sitting at the kitchen table in my usual spot going over David’s lyrics in my Psalmist devotional as my kids came in for their breakfast. In between grumbles of “Shhhh”, and “Remember, Mommy likes quiet in the mornings”, an emotional explosion bubbled up from my son.
“That’s my seat,” he exclaimed. Except it came out much more like “miyyyyyyyye” with an emphatic whine attached.
Yes, I was in his seat. But I was here first. Which I explained to him. He didn’t care. Okay, so I did what any loving mother would do… I moved and complained the whole time I was shifting my bible (oh the irony) and other study items to an adjacent chair. He curtly exclaimed that he would no longer use available chair which he previously stated he needed; he would just stand up to eat. After all, it was mine, he said, and therefore it would not be right for him to accept the opportunity to sit since it was undeserved.
Let me pause the alarm bells of “oops, I could have handled that a lot better”, and focus in on the sentiment. As I explained minutes later when I discovered he was still standing long after the chair became unoccupied, I moved with the intention of giving him the seat. Him not accepting the seat out of some altruistic “unworthiness” was just disrespect in disguise, not to mention (dare I say) dumb because now it was all for nothing. Nobody was able to sit in the desired seat. But point here – I WANTED HIM TO HAVE IT.
Let’s take this directly to Jesus- the Spirit inside me rolled His eyes when it stuck me that I do the same regarding the gift of salvation. Jesus was there first, and his position indisputable. Yet he gave me the seat. No, I am not comparing Jesus to a game of breakfast musical chairs. But I think the lesson here is fairly obvious.
I do not deserve, nor will I ever do enough to prove worthy of the seat at God’s table that I have been given … only through the blood of Jesus am I made righteous. BUT, I have been made righteous – a kingdom heir – and there is no reason for me to stand up instead of taking my place as He gave it.
This is a struggle – balancing humility with my righteous inheritance given by my King. But as my pastor used to repeat (over and over again… and now I hear your voice in my head!!!!), it is a “both, and”. I can both be humbled by my complete unworthiness in self, and also respectfully take my seat at God’s table as His child. It is not a tipping scale, one side winning out over the other judged moment by moment, but finished business, set in place before the creation of the heavens.
Ephesians 1:3-12 (HCSB)
“Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens. For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to His favor and will, to the praise of his glorious grace that He favored us in the Beloved.
We have redemption in Him through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to his good pleasure that He planned in Him for the administration of the days of fulfillment – to bring everything together in the Messiah, both things in heaven and on earth in Him.
We have also received an inheritance in Him, predestined according to the purpose of the One who works out everything in agreement with the decision of His will, so that we who had already put our hope in the Messiah might bring praise to His glory.”
So, who am I to look God in the face of His blessing (Num. 6:24-26) and tell him, thanks, but I don’t deserve it? Wow. I need to humbly “check myself” and get with the program. I am to accept the given inheritance, and also the responsibility that comes with it, of bearing His name.
Perhaps, I should take my seat, eat my breakfast, and get on with the business of praising my Savior with the glory and honor to Him. Besides, who wouldn’t want to sit at the table with Jesus?
Prayers and Petition 