Entitlement?

“And he paid homage and said, ‘What is your servant that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?’” --2 Samuel 9:8 King David wants to find someone from the house of Saul that he can “show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake” and he finds out about Mephibosheth one of Jonathan’s sons who is crippled. David has him brought in tells him that because of Jonathan he will always show him kindness and that he will have a place at David’s table like one of the king’s sons. Mephibosheth’s response is self-abasing which is the part of the story that grabbed my attention today as I read it. This is a grandson of Saul. The grandson of a former king refers to himself as a “dead dog.” If there was to be someone who might have entitlement issues you might think it would be him, however he tells David that he isn’t worthy of the treatment that David is giving him. Today as I thought about his response I felt like that is the response that I should have toward God and toward Christ. It doesn’t take much for me to start to feel entitled; especially in God’s approval of me and his choosing me. I start to feel like I deserve the grace that has been extended to me which of course wouldn’t be grace if I deserved it. In my pride I feel like I deserve more praise and recognition. What a sinful response that is. There is nothing that I can do on my own without Jesus Christ. Jesus tells us this in John 15:5. I need to be reminded of this regularly and when I look to the grace that is extended to me my response should be the same as Mephibosheth’s response to David. “What is your servant that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?” Thank you Father for choosing me, loving me and using me; all in spite of me.