Free Stuff: What's In It For Me?

Face it; most people look at everything with the outlook: What's in it for me?

People want free things. Just look at the number of people at grand openings at new stores. They are there to get free things!  Socialism is a big thing now because people believe they have a right to free things. Of course, almost everyone wants affordable health care, but way too many want free health care. The rise and fall of Bernie Sanders was because the spoiled generation only know about free stuff. (See, I'm dexterous with grammar - I went from free things to free stuff).

Everybody does deserve a job if they want to work. However, want to work eliminates nearly half the nation! Those are the people who want free stuff, ignoring the hard workers who pay outlandishly to pay for the free things that other people get. The American Dream at this moment is getting all the free things out of life that one can!

Why work when things are free? asks the socialist. The same attitude exists in many who never heard of Marx, but are merely natural-born Epicureans, having enjoyment from luxury items as if there is no tomorrow. Paul accused these folks of worshiping an unknown god.

Acts 17:23 "For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To The Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you."

Jesus spoke to Paul; who knew Jesus first-hand. He knew that Jesus is God.  The Stoics and Epicureans to whom he spoke in this passage, didn't know God. As philosophers, their god was the quest for knowledge, but that god had no name! He was their Unknown God. Believe it or not, everyone has a god! The Stoics sought solace for themselves, and the Epicureans sought pleasure for themselves. Who was their Unknown god? Their own god was each of their own selves,

It is pitiful, is it not, that these two groups of people were appeased by what they did, and what they wanted? Epicureans appeased their god with rich food, high-living, prestige, presents for themselves, and partying. Things were all about them! They wanted free stuff which delighted themselves.

We all have a little self-indulgence in us. Of course, we want necessities and a few frivolities, and some of us work hard for them. Others just expect gifts because for some reason they feel entitlement. They often think: I deserve whatever. The only thing any of us truly deserve is divine justice -  we all deserve eternal death for rebelling against our Creator!

Admit it... before we're saved, we all are our own gods. You may not have known it until just now, but before that, your god was an Unknown god. I proclaim Jesus Christ as the God whom is unknown to you.

Guess what else? Our own little god wants the One True God to save us from hell! Isn't it ironic that we are the god besides God, but we can only be saved by Him? Through Jesus Christ, our god is hung on the cross with Jesus, and his blood and death paid the penalty for our god to live forever. In order to be saved, we must present our god to God for redemption because our weak god only wants free things, and has no power to save ourselves!

Romans 12:1 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."

This sacrifice that God wants is you! He wants your god to submit to him! Submission is when our god is toppled, and then quit demanding things, but desiring Jesus for what He can do for us - save!

 John 13:12  ^"So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? 13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you."

What's in it for you? You should be washing the feet of others.  You should be serving the Lord and even your enemies, but yet your focus is on: What's in it for me? You are still worrying about new things, birthday presents, fun, Christmas presents, and having it your way; but Jesus wants you to take the focus off you, and put it on service. Rather than: What's in it for me? It should be: Let me help you, and be there for you.

What is in it for you at the end of the day? Eternal life! You don't even deserve that, but by God's grace it is there for the taking. It's free stuff, but few even want it! Most are still more troubled by not getting what they want and demand. Rather than love, they will terrorize to get what they deserve (sic).

The secret to your success and eternal prosperity is to get rid of that other god by placing him at the altar to be a love gift to God. Then maybe your god will get something he or she doesn't deserve - salvation!