My rights!!

Some random thoughts--

As Christ-followers what rights are we allowed to keep? I hear a lot of talk about the rights we have—happiness, peace, boundaries, love, self-esteem, and others.

Doesn’t the Gospel teach that when we are in Christ we forfeit our own rights and our own lives as well?

Luke 14:25 A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, 26 “If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. 27 And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. 28 “But don’t begin until you count the cost.

“No one should be surprised that they cannot come to believe so long as, in deliberate disobedience, they flee or reject some aspect of Jesus' commandment (to come). You do not want to subject some sinful passion, an enmity, a hope, your life plans, or your reason to Jesus' commandment? Do not be surprised that you do not receive the Holy Spirit, that you cannot pray, that your prayer for faith remains empty! Instead, go and be reconciled with your sister or brother; let go of the sin which keeps you captive; and you will be able to believe again! If you reject God's commanding word, you will not receive God's gracious word. How would you expect to find community while you intentionally withdraw from it at some point? The disobedient cannot believe; only the obedient believe.”- Dietrich Bonhoeffer - from Discipleship p65-66 Fortress Press

"...it could well prove to be a major turning point in our life if we would ask ourselves if we really do intend to be life students of Jesus. Do we really intend to do and be all of the high things we profess to believe in?” Dallas Willard. Adapted from The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering our Hidden Life in God. Reprinted in The Christian Century, 1998.

Too often we want to get out of this cross carrying business. We protest-
'I have rights! I have the right to stop turning the other cheek, I have the right to be angry, I have the right to go my own way and live my own life.'
We look to be rid of what God has given us to endure—

“Perseverance, translated literally, means: remaining underneath, not throwing off the load, but bearing it. We know much too little in the church today about the peculiar blessing of bearing. Bearing, not shaking off; bearing, but not collapsing either; bearing as Christ bore the cross, remaining underneath, and there beneath it - to find Christ. If God imposes a load; then those who persevere bow their heads and believe that it is good for them to be humbled - remain underneath! For remaining steadfast, remaining strong is meant here too; not weak acquiescence or surrender, not masochism, but growing stronger under the load, as under God's grace, imperturbably preserving the peace of God. God's peace is found with those who persevere.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer - from A Testament to Freedom 291 from A Year with Dietrich Bonhoeffer Carla Barnhill, Ed., HarperSan Francisco, 2005

2 Corinthians 1:5 For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ… 8 We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. 9 In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. 10 And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us. NLT