Deserve’s Got Nothing to Do With It
In a climactic scene from Unforgiven, Clint Eastwood’s 1992 angst-filled western, William Munny (Clint Eastwood) stands over “Little Bill” Daggett (Gene Hackman) with a shotgun pointed at his head. Realizing he is in the last few moments of his life, Hackman emotes, “I don’t deserve this. I was building a house.” Eastwood hisses, “Deserve’s go nothing to do with it.” Lights out, Little Bill. While none of us hopes for the end reached by the movie’s best known co-star, we should all understand the insight in the stars’ toodle-oo to his nemesis. Much in life is either unsought, overlooked or undeserved.
In reading the Bible as a young person, I accepted its statements as facts through faith. I believed what it said without personal experience. As I have lived, however, I have had many “aha” moments. I have seen the Scripture play out either in my own life or the lives of others. That is learning in a different way. It is validation of what is true without experience made more real personally through understanding the mechanisms of events. “So, that’s how that works.” Scripture makes it clear that there is no universal truth regarding rewards for well or wrong-doing in this life. Time and chance often intervene.
It is generally true that good deeds are a better policy than evil deeds. This broad statement, however, is only absolutely true in the eternal sense. There are plenty of bad people that are experiencing success in this life, and many good people that can’t seem to catch a break. This is even true regardless of life preparation. It’s easy to say that people who make poor choices will not succeed, but a lot of folks that make good choices fail. Solomon said the race is not always to the swift. The job does not always go to the most qualified, and those who belong in the spotlight are often left stacking chairs when the banquet’s over.
It sure is hard to keep taking the long-look. See, that’s what we’re always told to do by the self-possessed whenever things don’t work out for us. And it’s true that we need to more concerned with the next world than this one, but so much for love and bearing one another’s burdens. The unfulfilled law of Christ is an additional weight to those who are already struggling. There is a record in heaven, but I believe it is incumbent on believers to bear record on the earth. We should not despise the day of small things and celebrate more than we criticize. By the way, keep your opinion to yourself. You don’t know everything.
There is an upside to not getting what you deserve. Speaking as one who has dodged many bullets, it would have served me right to have caught more. The heartaches of life have been great, but the gifts of God’s grace have been magnificent. Today, I smile at the accolades given by and to worldly and churchy men. It is impossible to take the sting out of living. No one is good- not even one. That applies to people, boards and committees. There is no sure justice in this life, but it is coming. There’s no partiality with God, but grace will give us heaven and happiness through His Son. Deserve’s got nothing to do with it.
Sterl
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