Letting Go Of Your Rights

Letting Go Of Your Rights

Humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and in his good time he will honor you. –1 Peter 5:6

I felt misunderstood and maligned. Confusion over my role and responsibilities on a project, and offense taken by abrupt e-mails I’d written in my busyness, had made me the target of harsh criticism. The whole thing hurt my pride, and I feared the relationship was damaged beyond repair. Honestly, I wanted to walk away and nurse my wounds. But God spoke to me through his Word, though it wasn’t necessarily what I wanted to hear. “Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up,” I heard him say (see 1 Peter 5:6). But he wasn’t done. “So far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men” (Romans 12:18, NASB). God gave me clear instructions to let go of my prideful expectations that others should treat me and think of me as I thought they ought to. Rather than cut and run, I had to pick up the phone, apologize, and ask for forgiveness. I explained but tried not to defend. I humbled myself, and it cost me. But it had become a matter between God and me, and it didn’t matter how they responded; I knew I needed to obey. And honestly, that felt good.

There was more criticism and coldness to come before things turned around. And by the time apology and appreciation came back around to me, it didn’t matter that much anymore because I had experienced more pleasure in pleasing God than I ever could have in impressing people. Even if they had never recognized my contribution, the inner confidence that I had pleased God through costly obedience—by letting go of my rights, by entrusting my justification and reputation to him—was more than enough.

Have you been demanding your right to be treated as you “deserve”? Demanding your right to fairness, happiness, respect, or retaliation? Would you lay down your rights and let them go? Would you recognize that the matter is more between you and God than you and anyone else? Would you be willing to humble yourself under him, trusting he has the power to lift you up and honor you in his timing, in his way? Isn’t the load of demanding your rights becoming much too heavy to bear?

My Defender, it goes against everything in me to let go of my rights. My culture tells me I’m a fool to do so—that it will make me a victim. But because I want to go deeper with you, I will entrust my rights to you.

DIGGING DEEPER