By: John Mitchell
Entitlement: means that a person believes that he or she has a right to have some particular income or item, or deserves to have some privileges and special treatment.
Today, many of the teenage and young adult population have an entitlement attitude. Some believe that their families, and the government should provide for them into their 20’s and 30’s. If they do have a job, they believe that they deserve a paycheck for their attendance at the work place, whether they do any work or not. I must add, that there are some teenagers and young adults who are wonderful, good, and godly examples to all of us. Me and my fellow older generation of adults will certainly say that we do not have an entitlement attitude. We believed that it was our responsibility to provide for the financial needs of our family. If we didn’t have any disability that would limit our ability to provide for our family, then we did not want to accept help from anyone else, because it was our responsibility to provide for our family, not anyone else’s responsibility. 1 Timothy 5:8 tells us, “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever.” I believe that it is clearly understood that the adults should provide for the children, and teach by example, so that when the children become adults, they will be ready to accept their adult responsibilities to provide for the worldly, carnal needs, for themselves, and for their families. What about an attitude of Spiritual entitlement? Do any of us, who are members of the church of Christ, believe that our church of Christ membership entitles us to a place in heaven? It does not. When we first became a member of the body of Christ, there was joy over us becoming a Christian. We were excited and wanted to learn all we could about the truth of the gospel, so we could live it, and share it with others. That was years ago for some of us, and not very long ago for others, when we became members of the church that Jesus established and died for. “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build My church,” (Matthew 16:18) Just as we adults are responsible for the worldly needs of our family, we are also, more importantly, responsible for the spiritual needs of our family. Bringing our family to the Bible study and worship services to have other people teach our children does not relieve us of our responsibility to teach our family about the spiritual lessons that they need to learn. How easily our excitement and joy over becoming a Christian can vanish down to the friendly contentment of a social club. In a social club the members arrive at about the same time every week, and sit in the same place, and give others a friendly greeting. Then they play card games, or hear a lecture, or plan a trip to some local attraction. Then they say to each other, good bye and be careful on your way home. Does this sound like your or my spiritual congregation? Please, please, understand that I am in need of not being a spectator any more. I’m saying to myself, and to anyone else, who may need some help to be a hearer, and a doer of the word of God. In Matthew 7:21 Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” We have the gospel, the word of God, that is able to save us from eternal damnation, and to guide us, to be able to have spiritually, the best life possible for us here on earth, and eternity in heaven with God. We have God’s wonderful plan for our lives, His words of scripture to guide us. There is no plan for us better than God’s plan for us!!! If we truly treasure the gospel, we will want to be sharing it with as many people as we can. When a person walks into our congregation, or some other church of Christ congregation, will they think, “This is a nice friendly congregation. But where is the joy? Do the people act like heaven is in their future? Do they sing like they are wanting to joyfully thank God, and praise God? Where is the joy of having a valuable treasure, and wanting to share it with others?” About spiritual entitlement, we need to remember what Jesus said in both, Matthew 10:22, and 24;13. “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” We each are blessed with talents and abilities. We need to use them for the kingdom of God. “For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them:” (Romans 12:4-6) If we have slipped into a little bit of a spiritual entitlement attitude, of not daily reading and studying the Bible, then we need to return to that Bible reading and studying that brings the excitement and joy of following God’s plan for our lives. We must ask ourselves, Is God first in our lives, or have the things and cares of the world become first in our life? Let us remember Galatians 6:7-10. “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit, will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”