Deserve?

It seems to me that we all hear the word “deserve” way too often.  In fact, the other day, my six-year-old daughter told me that she “deserves that toy”.  What?

Talk about entitlement!  Are we really so full of ourselves that we think we deserve everything?  What would King Benjamin, from the Book of Mormon say?  In fact, let’s see what he says (and he was a king, the son of a king [and the father of the next king—King Mosiah):

Mosiah 2:16 Behold, I say unto you that because I said unto you that I had spent my days in your service, I do not desire to boast, for I have only been in the service of God.

&

:18-19 Behold, ye have called me your king; and if I, whom ye call your king, do labor to serve you, then ought not ye to labor to serve one another?  And behold also, if I, whom ye call your king, who has spent his days in your service, and yet has been in the service of God, do merit any thanks from you, O how you ought to thank your heavenly King!

&

:21 I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another--I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.

Is that entitled language?  Just the contrary—meek and humble language, I should say!

Shouldn’t we all be a little more humble in our language?  Shouldn’t we be of more service to others?  Shouldn’t we recognize our place in this world and universe as children of God?

JPS