Have We No Rights

This is an excerpt from a book titled, "Have We No Rights" by Mabel Williamson.

"No rights to a soft bed, and a well laid table. 
No right to a home of His own, a place where His own pleasure might be sought.
No right to choose pleasant, congenial companions, those who could understand Him and sympathize with Him.
No right to shrink away from filth and sin, to pull His garments closer around Him and turn aside to walk in cleaner paths.
No right to be understood and appreciated, no, not by those upon whom He poured out a double portion of His love.
No right even never to be forsaken by His Father, the One who meant more than all to Him.
His only right was silently to endure shame, spitting, blows; To take His place as a sinner at the dock; To bear my sins in anguish on the cross.
He had no rights.

And I?

A right to the "comforts" of life? No, but a right to the love of God for my pillow.
A right to physical safety? No, but a right to the security of being in His will.
A right to love and sympathy from those around me? No, but a right to the friendship of the One who understands me better than I do myself.
A right to be a leader among men? No, but the right to be led by the One to whom I have given my all, led as a little child, with its hand in the hand of its Father.
A right to a home and dear ones? No, not necessarily, but the right to dwell in the heart of God.
A right to myself? No, but oh, I have a right to Christ.

All that He takes I will give,
All that He gives I will take,
He is my only right!
He, the one right before which all other rights fade into nothingness.
I have full right to Him;
Oh may He have full right to me! "


I was 35 when I first read this book. It was impactful, and at the same time HARD TO READ. :)

How many of my rights do I have to give up to be a woman of God.
It turns out.. that I really have no rights.
At the age of 35, I set out to rid myself of the mind-set that, "I Have Rights".. and instead asked the LORD to give me a heart of surrender.. a heart to yield to His purging and sanctification in my life. A heart transformed in, and through Jesus Christ!

I've had to revisit this lately..
The purging and refining isn't over yet, not by a long shot! The fact is, my life our lives as women of God will never be our own and we have no right to the outcomes of God's providential plan for us.
I believe that Almighty God is sovereign and nothing gets by Him concerning our trials and tribulations without His allowing it.  So the "rights" belong to God! He has the right to mold us and shape us into whatever image He wishes and by any means He chooses. ( OUCH ) What I am learning to do, is to bend with His molding and shaping instead of fighting against it. The Heavenly Father's intent is that we become lovely vessels for His use and Glory.. His eternal Glory! I love this picture; refined silver, a polished gem, a perfect diamond.. a vessel so shiny and mirror like, that it is 'His image' seen in the reflection of our lives.

Praying also for you dear sisters, in case you too are being revisited by His refinement! :)

xoxo