Do I Have to?
The attitude that we have in life is very important. When our children were all at home, they would be given something to do. As they did, a common reply was, “Do I have to?” The chore they were asked to do was not very pleasing to them. They did not have a desire to do what they were asked to do. The answer to them was “No, you don’t have to, you get to.”
Have you ever noticed that there are things in our lives that we don’t have to do as adults, but we get to. One of these things is, you do not have to obey God, but you get to. As we read through the Bible, we find that God does not treat us as robots. He gives us free will to do what we want to do; sadly, sometimes the things we choose go against His will. He does not make us love Him, believe in Him, obey Him, or live for Him. Those are all choices we get to make.
Adam and Eve in the garden, as the finest of God’s creation, were told what they could and could not eat. Satan came along and deceived the woman and she chose to eat the forbidden fruit. She gave it to her husband who chose to eat it as well. As a result, they were cast out of the garden. Adam would have to work the ground to produce his crops and Eve would have pain in childbearing (Genesis 3). They didn’t have to listen to Satan and disobey God.
Today, you don’t have to obey God but you get to. And when I read through the Bible, I know that there is a time that the earth will be judged and all men will give an account for the deeds done in the body. Listen to Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:10: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (NASB).
Today, there are people in our world who would like to do something but they cannot. Sometimes it is because of their health. There are some who are blind, others who are in wheelchairs or have other problems that hinder them. Some today do not have a Bible to learn about God. Some are denied the freedom to worship. But they would if they did not have the hindrance and they had the opportunity.
The next time something comes up and you say, “Do I have to?,” go ahead and add these words, “No, but I get to.” And then do it with a smile on your face. And by all means, make sure you are worshipping and serving our Creator. Do I have to? No, I get to, and so do you.