Why Me?

Over the weekend, one of my girlfriends shared her awesome news that after circulating her resume, a few employment opportunities have presented themselves. While ecstatic to hear this, I wasn't surprised. My friend, with whom I've also had the pleasure of working, is one of the most loyal, hard working, ethically sound and positive people I know. During our time working together, I've had the opportunity to watch her face and overcome challenges with dignity and strength. Her character is unmatched.

As she described the lengths this potential employer has gone through to get her on their team, I smiled. For instance, because she works full time and they were eager to interview her, they suggested the unconventional location for their first meeting - a hallway within the building where she currently works. They've also offered her perks and benefits that were not on her "required list". And upon hearing that she would not accept their job offer without having trained her replacement, they, too, were impressed by her loyalty, commitment and work ethic. Ultimately, they've agreed to hold the position for her until she is ready to leave her current job, which could take a few months.

As you can imagine, I beamed with joy and congratulated her. She is the perfect candidate for the new position and they will be blessed to have her on their team!

The next words out of her mouth caught me off guard:

"Tiffany, he said he was really impressed with me! I'm not sure why though. I mean, what makes me so special? Why me?"

I answered her question with a question. "Why not you?" I went on to explain that when we receive God's favor or when a prayer is answered, it is not up to us to question why, but to receive it.

She thought about it for a moment and said, "You are right! Why not me?!"

Often times, when we receive blessings and God's favor, in a moment of disbelief, and maybe even guilt or shock, we may ask this same question.

WHY ME?

WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS?

I'll admit, like my friend, there have been times in the past when I've received blessings and favor from God and questioned what I did to deserve them.

For instance, I remember questioning how I deserved a man like LT, the husband I prayed for. I am married to my best friend and I (really, really) like being with him. I love him. He loves me. But even apart from that, we really, really like one another. Our marriage continues to thrive because we put in the work and make God the center of it. I've come to realize that our awesome marriage is a testament of God's favor. I didn't "do" anything to deserve it. I'm not perfect. LT is not perfect. But we are perfect for each other and God saw fit to bless us. I received LT! LT received me! We received each other!

As I walk around our new home, I could be tempted to ask what I/we did to deserve it. But I know better than to do that. We are no different from anyone else. But God saw fit to bless us with our perfect home! We've sown into God's kingdom. We are stewards over what we have. We are tithers. We faithed for this home! Instead of questioning my worthiness, I am continually thankful to God for it!

WHY NOT YOU?

As a Believer, I imagine there are fewer things God hates more than hearing/seeing His children contradicting His Word. Whether with our words or actions, when we express our unworthiness to receive God's best, we are calling Him a liar. You see, when we accepted Christ as our Savior, we put our faith in Him to keep His promises. He is faithful! He's declared that His children are blessed! To question our worthiness is not us being humble or modest. It is a slap in our Father's face! God chooses to bless His children, not because of anything we did or because we are deserve it. He blesses us because He said He would. He cannot lie and go against His Word. Our only "responsibility" is to accept it and thank Him for it.

Parents, how do you act when you tell your children the truth and they question it or second-guess you? I don't know about you, but this infuriates me! Think about how God "feels" telling you, His child, that you are blessed and highly favored and you tell Him that He's lying. Thank God, that God is not a man. But still, don't do it!

Instead, the next time you receive a blessing or favor, do not ask "Why me?" Instead, thank God for His manifested promise and boldly declare "Why not me?!".