"Entitled Entitlement."

Someday I will write a book on this. Probably when I feel like I have a better grasp on it myself. Entitlement, what is it, why does it happen?

It is almost a humanity issue. Something that is bore into us from the start of our selfish lives. I deserve life, I deserve this, that etc...etc.. When I look at the word deserve, you see de-serve. You know I am not one to normally pick apart words and try to find other meanings and what not, but to me it looks like the word de-serve is the opposite of serve, which is what we should be doing everyday. When we act as if we deserve something than we are doing the opposite of helping others.

You can see it so much in today's world. In society people want recognition for their acts of kindness and charity. Or even the person who takes up two parking spots, because they have a nice car of course. Line cutters, ice cream sample abusers, whatever it is, it is everywhere. In the church people want to be paid back, or given a "position" to do volunteer work. This simple statement brings two stories to mind. The first is that of a celebrity who made sure that there was enough media attention around before they gave money to an organization. Wow, what is charity if we are only concerned with what we get out of it, or if people know about it? True charity is doing things without people knowing about it. Whatever happened to anonymity? Don't get me wrong, there is nothing terrible about reaping what you sow or receiving an award for your philanthropy, but when it is expected we have to examine the attitude of the giving in the first place.

The second story that is brought to the forefront of my mind is one that is set in the church. Not only is it ridiculously hard to find volunteers these days without feeding them or giving them a tee shirt for their "sacrifice," but there is sense of entitlement that has taken over people. I can recall a few years ago, there was a group of us helping out a pastor in preparation for a trip. After we had unloaded various sound, and video, and music equipment into our chapel, the ones who stood around and did the least amount work were the ones asking for lunch. They said to the youth pastor, "you owe us." It is funny to look back at, because it brings to light the conception that we are entitled to rewards for doing nice things. "The harvest is plentiful, the workers are few," but only if we pay them?!

I am guilty of this conception as well. I have had the thought of, "I deserve a day off, because I worked on a holiday," or "I should be recognized for this nice thing I did." It happens to the best of us. We are selfish beings wanting only to fulfill the needs and desires of our own flesh or minds. True sacrificers, philanthropists, givers, servants or whatever term you would like to use may not be recognized every time, but those things aren't important to them. It is the task at hand that matters. The cause before the reward. I think that we should try to do things under the radar.

Do enough good things and people will notice eventually and you might even be rewarded for it at some point. Never let your focus be on the reward. We are not entitled to anything, we don't even deserve to live. We are given this privilege and should spend every day trying to pay the world back with our love and sacrifice. Instead of putting our hands out for what we get, let us put our hands up and volunteer, sacrifice and help with a joyful heart. It's hard but we can do it.

Here is something for us all to think about;

Mark 10:21

"Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

Yikes.