Entitlement, ew.

I finished reading through Ecclesiastes. Before reading this book I had increasing frustration with myself, with Christians, with society, and just with this world in general.


God led me to Ecclesiastes and after reading it, I can't say I feel any better. I just don't feel alone!


Everything that we are doing is meaningless. Our advancements in our career, meaningless. Reading that book we have so long desired to read, meaningless. Arguing amongst ourselves, meaningless. Its all just meaningless.


The only way our lives jump from the meaningless path to the meaningful path is when we are living out of love. Not love for ourselves. Love for God. When we are loving God we are loving others. We get out of the selfish mindset that people, especially Americans, are trapped in.


We feel entitled to everything. The more I think about entitlement it disgusts me. Why do we feel so very entitled to the best of everything? We have to have a nice house. Our friends are supposed to be there for us 24-7. We want naptime. Now. Whatever we want, we feel as though we want it now. And if we don't get it now, many of us throw tantrums. I mean c'mon!!! This is ridiculous.


You nor I are innocent of throwing a fit when we don't get our way. We are selfish. We are caught living for ourselves.


There is great need in this world. There are children in Africa that don't have access to clean water on a daily basis. Do you feel entitled to clean water at your instant beckoning? There are families that don't know if they will have a safe place to stay from one night to the next. On top of that, something to keep them warm. Do you feel entitled to your house? To your bed? To you blankets? Even your teddy bear? 


Honestly, I know I am guilty. The problem is that I was raised in a society where we have all our needs fulfilled and then supplied with luxuries on top of that. It took me a great deal of time to wrap my mind around the fact that I am SOOOO very spoiled. Spoiled and stingy I am. 


Don't get me wrong, I enjoy it. I am very grateful of all the blessings that have been bestowed upon me. My mom and dad have always been there for me. All my fundamental needs have been supplied and then some. 


I am not much a shopper. But a question we should ask ourselves is when is enough, enough? Do you have enough? I know I do. 


Christ is enough. In fact, having Him makes me spoiled because I have more than enough.


Sometimes I find myself pondering as to whether I respond the same way as Job did when everything he had was taken from him. I don't like my initial feeling towards everything I have suddenly gone.


I find myself thinking, "That's mine", "I worked hard for that", "That's special to me", "I need that", and simply "nooooooo." Wow. I disgust myself.


It isn't the money or the luxuries that hurt us. It is the love for them. The root of all evil is the love of money. Yikes. 


You may say, nahhh I don't love money. But, actions speak louder than words. Do you?


What needs to change?


I will leave you with this. 
Mark 10:17-24


"As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?
" "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good- except God alone. You know the commandments: 'You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.'" "Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy." 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. The come, follow me." At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!" The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."


By God's grace, we can go through the eye of a needle. 


Stop living life for yourself. Start loving others with your time, money, possessions, and skills. Love comes from the Father. So loving them means your are doing it through Christ, for God's glory.


Have a blessed week!