What Do You Think You Are Entitled To?

For almost 25 years, I worked for the US government administering the Food Stamp Program in the western states. The Food Stamp Program is called an Entitlement Program. Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are also Entitlement Programs.

As I read the news and daily letters to the editors, I have observed that within the context of the current economic crisis in America, people are increasingly looking to government for help. Americans are seeing government resources as something, they, as individual tax-paying citizens, are entitled to. Now, you know me well enough to know I do not intend for this blog to be a political commentary. So why am I bringing up the issue of “entitlement.” Because there is a wonderful spiritual analogy (yes, you knew that was coming, didn’t you!).

Listen to the definition of “entitlement”:“Entitlement is a guarantee of access to benefits because of rights, or by agreement through law. It also refers, in a more casual sense to someone's belief that one is deserving of some particular reward or benefit. It is often used as a pejorative term in popular parlance (i.e. a 'sense of entitlement').”
It is this second half of the definition I want to draw your attention to. As cross-carrying, self-denying followers of Christ, we must be very careful not to become caught up in our cultural movement toward entitlement. The tendency of natural, self-centered men is to think they are entitled to a good life—the ‘good life’ being defined as that which meets my needs and suits my purposes. Once we have surrendered government of our lives to Holy Spirit, we must surrender this “natural” sense of entitlement.

If we get seduced by this spirit of entitlement so rampant in our culture, we may find ourselves at odds with God’s purposes, and tempted toward bitterness whenever circumstances are contrary to the things we “thought” God should do. Be careful about that little voice in your ear, saying, “you deserve better than this.” It is not God’s voice!