The disease is crippling North American youth, even–or should I say especially–Mennonite youth. This disease is genetic (yes, some of our parents and other ancestors have or had it), and anyone who is spiritually out-of-shape is susceptible to it in any season of life. As a new generation, we have incredible potential to be Kingdom builders, yet this self-fed disease steals our vigor and passion.
The Symptoms.
A mental list of survival needs that rivals a mother’s grocery list when she’s making a big haul. Perhaps the list looks like this.
Three meals a day
Snacks
Coffee
Eight pairs of footwear
Four coats
Thirty to forty outfits
Accessories by season (ie. sunglasses or mittens)
Clothing washed every time you wear them
Job
Car
Cell phone
Computer
Friends
A purse/ wallet
Social Event about twice a week
Hobby (ie. boarding or playing piano)
Necessary equipment for above hobby
Parents
Siblings
Uncles, Aunts, Cousins, Grandparents
Housing
Space that’s your own when you want to be alone
Bed
Books
Music (CDs, i-tunes etc.)
Cash in your wallet
Money in the bank
Road trip once a year
Church
Bible
etc.
Frustration is evident when any of these perceived needs go unmet. If this list looks similar to what you need to survive, then you have a mild case of entitlement. More severe cases include necessities such as the following
New dress/shirt for every big social function (ie. wedding)
Name brand clothes
New wardrobe every 2-3 years
Timmy’s/Starbucks coffee whenever out and about
Popular friends
Boyfriend/girlfriend
Massages when you start to ache
Dip with your veggies
Dessert with your meals
A cell phone case to match every outfit
Dishwashers
Three $300 hockey sticks
Social event at least five nights a week
Week-long vacations in the sunny south or exotic east
Five-minute devotionals book
Frustration is evident when these perceived needs go unmet. People suffering from Entitlement tend to think in terms of what they do not have, and how, if, and when they can get it.
Let us look at a more accurate survival list. “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” I Timothy 6:6-8 (all scripture in KJV) “But he [Jesus] answered and said, ‘It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.'” Matthew 4:4
In summary, we need three things to survive: food, clothes, and God’s Word.
How do I know so much about the disease of entitlement?
I know from experience. I am in recovery, and experiencing freedom from its fatal progression. I want to pass on what I have learned to others who have the disease and yet do not realize its eternal implications. For, oh, how rampant it has become!
I give a student a prize for completing his flashcard chart and he asks, “Is that all?”
“Is that all?! Some children have hardly any rags hanging onto their frames or food in their stomachs and two candies is not enough!” I internally fume.
“I should really get a new phone case. I’ve haven’t gotten a new one since I got my phone and that was a year ago.”
“You have a phone? It’s your own? You have money to keep a plan on it? You have someone to communicate with regularly? Your case is still in one piece and doing the job?”
“I really don’t like this dress. It’s old, like, I made it two years ago.”
“You made it two years ago, and it hasn’t worn out yet? You must have a lot of dresses then. I don’t see any rips or stains.”
“After I’ve saved up a bit more, I’m gonna buy an Audi. My cars all right, but–“
“You have a car? It works? You have somewhere to go?”
“I really need to go the chiropractor again. My back has been bothering me whenever I do too much bending.”
“I have no doubt that you are in some pain, but what about the cripples in India? As the poor, they are the lowest of the low. Who helps them? Who feels their pain? Or land mine victims? ” Really.
WHAT ELSE COULD YOU WANT?!
I could relate so many more instances that I have heard in the past months. I could do surveys and tell you the odds of you being or becoming infected, but I won’t. I would rather think about the cure.
The steps are simple, the implementation difficult.
Step One: Realize what you are entitled to.
You are entitled to
The blank space was not a typo. Let me tell this story to illustrate my point.
My students are learning two-digit addition. Typically, they see problems like this one.
However, one time I gave them one like this. My student proceeded to solve it so far. Then, they raised their hand for help. “Well, what do you do here?”
I point to the space. “What do you see here?”
“Nothing.”
Bingo. “What number means nothing?”
“Zero.”
“That’s right. What’s 7 plus 0?”
Smiling, “Seven.”
What do we deserve? Nothing. That number, by the way, is zero.
We are entitled to 0 shoes, 0 friends, 0 cars, 0 meals. We deserve NOTHING.
When your heart and mind believe this, you are ready for step two of the cure.
Step Two: Realize God’s grace.
As human sinners, we should get nothing from God. We shouldn’t even exist. Yet in His graciousness, He makes us an offer. By faith, we can become His children and live His Will.
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” Romans 8:15-17
Search the Bible and you will see the incredible gifts God give His children.
Eternal Life–John 3:16
Mansion–John 14:2
A Crown in heaven–2 Timothy 4:8; James 1:12; I Peter 5:4; Revelation 2:10;3:11
The time would fail me to expound on the freedom, wisdom, joy, peace, and love that He gives.
However, nowhere do I see God guaranteeing prosperity, but He tells us He’ll provide. (Luke 2:22-30) He doesn’t promise popularity. He calls us to expect persecution. (Matthew 5:10-12) Our rewards are eternal. We are entitled to nothing material on earth.
Step Three: Realize that all you have is a gift.
Everything. All that you touch, every person you speak to, every sermon you’ve heard, God gave you, because He knew–by His power–that you would have the potential to with these tools build His Kingdom and bring Him glory.
There is nothing wrong with having things in abundance. If you find yourself with more than the three necessities, God has obviously blessed you for His purpose. Even so, don’t hang on to it. Invest it, give it, and use it well. If you need a role model, a man who got it right, was Paul. Here’s his testimony.
“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” Philippians 4:11,12
To be rich or to be poor–both are a gift.
Step Four: Realize the power of a life of gratitude and contentment.
These two walk in hand in hand. When we give sincere thanks for what we have, we are content with what we have. In whatever state you find yourself be content. Think in terms of what you have, and you will be well on your way to a cure.
Step Five: Realize the need of other diseased people and tell them of the cure.
Entitlement continues to cripple this generation at epidemic proportions. God offers the cure. Will you be healed?
First, I don’t appreciate formula books either. There would probably be a better way to write it…go for it. However, I do also know that web readers aren’t gonna stick with me through a wordy essay.
Now to the cure, no it is not a simple cure. And to anybody who is reading and got discouraged. I said I am in recovery. I think it is a life process, and we may often find ourselves retreating to step two or reviewing step four, figuratively speaking. I by no means expect people to carry this outline around in their back pocket! I have found that the process for me has been a progression that followed this path.
As to illustrating or proving, thank-you. I didn’t like the wording myself, I just couldn’t think of how to reword it, and you will soon see it changed.
No, your comment didn’t discourage me. The most uncomplimentary reader is an apathetic one.
And to anybody reading this comment, the ultimate cure for all is GOD.
I think you’re right about your readers not sticking with a long wordy essay, so this approach might be the most appropriate. I think the steps approach can certainly work when you want to share a lot of content with as few words as possible. If I may offer one more suggestion. . . I wonder how differently this article would feel if you didn’t write in the second person. I generally prefer writings of this nature that are in the first person, where the writer includes himself in his address. Instead of saying “you” should follow these steps to the cure, saying “we” can make it sound less harsh and direct. It also removes the possibility of the author appearing as if he’s conquered the issue at hand and is now instructing everyone else how to deal with it. That’s just my honest reflection. If I ever get around to writing more for my blog, feel free to critique it just as harshly 🙂
You certainly didn’t beat around the bush on this one 🙂 Frankly, I find the directness a bit uncomfortable, but maybe that’s because I suffer from the epidemic myself. I realize you’re not asking for critique, but I’m sure you realize that any time we make an opinion public, we open ourselves to the possibility of receiving criticism and critique. I don’t have any criticism to offer, but I may have a morsel of critique if you’ll allow me. I tend to react to the “steps to a cure” mentality that is often present in contemporary self-help literature. Maybe it’s just because I’m not as black and white and well defined in my thinking as I ought to be, but it seems to me that issues like entitlement require more than a few simple steps. The steps you outline are not exactly simple, but they give me the sense that this is something easily and quickly cured, although I’m sure you don’t mean it as such. Another insignificant thing I might point out–your illustration of the math problem. It illustrates your point; it doesn’t prove it. Arithmetic has nothing to do with entitlement, unless you’re discussing how much money you’re entitled to. 🙂 You really do have a lot of good things to say here. You’re absolutely right about our tendency to believe that we are entitled to an easy and luxurious lifestyle. You’re also right in looking at Paul as an excellent example of a lifestyle of contentment. Paul exemplified the power of living contentedly with what God has given us. The very last line of the post challenges me as well. It does me little good to know about the problem if I’m unwilling to take the steps and develop the right attitude necessary for the cure. Thanks for writing and sharing this. I hope my critique isn’t discouraging, for I certainly want to encourage you to keep up the excellent writing.
travelight94 
First, I don’t appreciate formula books either. There would probably be a better way to write it…go for it. However, I do also know that web readers aren’t gonna stick with me through a wordy essay.
Now to the cure, no it is not a simple cure. And to anybody who is reading and got discouraged. I said I am in recovery. I think it is a life process, and we may often find ourselves retreating to step two or reviewing step four, figuratively speaking. I by no means expect people to carry this outline around in their back pocket! I have found that the process for me has been a progression that followed this path.
As to illustrating or proving, thank-you. I didn’t like the wording myself, I just couldn’t think of how to reword it, and you will soon see it changed.
No, your comment didn’t discourage me. The most uncomplimentary reader is an apathetic one.
And to anybody reading this comment, the ultimate cure for all is GOD.
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I think you’re right about your readers not sticking with a long wordy essay, so this approach might be the most appropriate. I think the steps approach can certainly work when you want to share a lot of content with as few words as possible. If I may offer one more suggestion. . . I wonder how differently this article would feel if you didn’t write in the second person. I generally prefer writings of this nature that are in the first person, where the writer includes himself in his address. Instead of saying “you” should follow these steps to the cure, saying “we” can make it sound less harsh and direct. It also removes the possibility of the author appearing as if he’s conquered the issue at hand and is now instructing everyone else how to deal with it. That’s just my honest reflection. If I ever get around to writing more for my blog, feel free to critique it just as harshly 🙂
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Hmm… that is true. I don’t think I will change this article, but I will keep it in mind for another time. 🙂
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You certainly didn’t beat around the bush on this one 🙂 Frankly, I find the directness a bit uncomfortable, but maybe that’s because I suffer from the epidemic myself. I realize you’re not asking for critique, but I’m sure you realize that any time we make an opinion public, we open ourselves to the possibility of receiving criticism and critique. I don’t have any criticism to offer, but I may have a morsel of critique if you’ll allow me. I tend to react to the “steps to a cure” mentality that is often present in contemporary self-help literature. Maybe it’s just because I’m not as black and white and well defined in my thinking as I ought to be, but it seems to me that issues like entitlement require more than a few simple steps. The steps you outline are not exactly simple, but they give me the sense that this is something easily and quickly cured, although I’m sure you don’t mean it as such. Another insignificant thing I might point out–your illustration of the math problem. It illustrates your point; it doesn’t prove it. Arithmetic has nothing to do with entitlement, unless you’re discussing how much money you’re entitled to. 🙂 You really do have a lot of good things to say here. You’re absolutely right about our tendency to believe that we are entitled to an easy and luxurious lifestyle. You’re also right in looking at Paul as an excellent example of a lifestyle of contentment. Paul exemplified the power of living contentedly with what God has given us. The very last line of the post challenges me as well. It does me little good to know about the problem if I’m unwilling to take the steps and develop the right attitude necessary for the cure. Thanks for writing and sharing this. I hope my critique isn’t discouraging, for I certainly want to encourage you to keep up the excellent writing.
LikeLike