Be Careful About What You Think You’re Entitled To

When you hear the word “entitlement,” what comes to mind? Like a lot of words in the English language, it carries a variety of meanings. It can amount to an “if A, then B” or “if this happens, then that will happen” cause-and-effect type of statement. For instance, for hourly wage workers, if they work five hours, they should get paid for five hours work. Or, if you practice a skill consistently, then you can expect improvement.

We hear about “government entitlements.” These include Social Security and Medicare benefits for which many recipients had money deducted from their paychecks during their working careers. They’re “entitled” to receive benefits they’ve essentially paid for in advance. Other government entitlements, however, are distributed to people who’ve contributed little or nothing ahead of time.

 

Then there’s the sentiment that people “deserve” certain things, for no reason other than they are living and breathing. I’m of the opinion that people don’t “deserve” a luxury car, expensive house, or a pricey college education, unless they’re willing to repay the debts incurred by acquiring them. Thinking differently, it seems, has led many in our society to an entitlement mentality.

 

Leadership consultant Tim Kight describes it this way: “Entitlement comes from wanting more than you are willing to work for. It’s the result of a ‘want ethic’ rather than a work ethic.” 

 

I remember a job at a grocery store I had while a senior in college. Since I’d worked in a different supermarket in another state while I was in high school, I assumed because of my experience I was “entitled” to the job regardless of how much effort I expended. Uh-uh. A few weeks into it, my manager put me on notice that if I didn’t pick the pace and work harder, the only thing I’d be entitled to was walking out the door and not coming back.

 

Heeding the warning, I did start working more diligently. This “entitled” me to remain on the store payroll as a grocery clerk. But also realizing my future wasn’t in the grocery business, I formulated a plan that could entitle me to devote my career to endeavors more suited to my interests and abilities.

 

This is one reason I’m a strong advocate of personal initiative, hard work, determination, and approaching challenges with a positive attitude. Just as some people define “luck” as putting in the work and preparation necessary to capitalize on opportunities when they present themselves, I believe people are entitled to reap the rewards of their hard work.

 

I’m not the only one who thinks this way. The Bible is filled with teachings and principles about the importance of hard work and diligence. The Old Testament book of Proverbs offers many examples. For instance, Proverbs 10:4-5 declare, “Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.”

 

Even if we’ve never worked on a farm, it’s clear that if a person is unwilling to expend the necessary effort, they shouldn’t feel entitled to anything in return. As the adage tells us, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

 

Another verse points out the likelihood that diligence will bring the opposite outcome: “Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men” (Proverbs 22:29).

 

Paradoxically, however, the Scriptures place their greatest emphasis on receiving the things we truly are not entitled to – salvation, forgiveness, a personal relationship with God, and assurance of eternal life after our earthly lives have ended.

 

When asked, “Do you think you’ll go to heaven when you die?” many people will answer, “I think so. I’m a pretty good person.” To which the Word of God seems to respond, “Wrong!” Because Romans 3:10-12 states, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God…there is no one who does good, not even one.”

 

Underscoring that point, Romans 3:23 delivers the bad news: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” In other words, not one of us measures up to God’s perfect, holy standard. 

 

Thankfully, we don’t have to wait too long to read more comforting words, even if they have nothing to do with our being “entitled.” Romans 5:8 declares, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Then Romans 6:23 observes, ”For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

 

We could cite many other passages, but two in particular capture the Bible’s position that salvation and right standing with God can’t be earned or deserved, but received only on the basis of His mercy and unmerited favor.

 

Ephesians 2:8-9 asserts, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” Titus 3:5-7 affirms this: “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy…so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs [with Christ] having the hope of eternal life.”

 

We can debate “entitlements” as they’re currently perceived in our society, but from God’s point of view, we’re entitled to absolutely nothing. Anything and everything we receive from Him is solely on the basis of His love and grace. 

Be a Thermostat for Thanksgiving

When it comes to the temperature of a room, we commonly use two devices. One is a thermometer, telling us what the temperature is. The other’s the thermostat, which controls what we desire the temperature to be. Similarly, for our everyday lives, we can choose to be one or the other.

We see lots of people acting like thermometers, reflecting the “temperature” around them, whether it’s beliefs, attitudes, or social behavior. Like walking into an extremely warm room, or the frigid outdoors, they soon become just like the environment surrounding them. But other people function more like thermostats, being influencers of their environments rather than becoming “influenc-ees.”

This is important as we approach another Thanksgiving Day. Later this week, many of us will gather with family and friends for a lavish meal. Turkey or ham may be the featured attraction, accompanied by mashed potatoes, yams, cranberry sauce, various casseroles, bread and rolls, followed by pumpkin or pecan pie. The menu varies from home to home, but surrounded by such abundance, it’s easy to feel thankful in the moment. Prayers around the table before we dig in confirm that.

Are you a thermometer - or a thermostat?

But what about the weeks leading up to the holiday? Or the days after? How thankful are we then? This is where we can choose our role – thermometer, or thermostat.

We can all think of reasons for not feeling thankful, some of us more than others. It could be a chronic, or even terminal, illness we or a loved one may be facing. Financial pressures might seem unrelenting. Personal conflicts may be resistant to resolution. You can add to the list from your own situation. The onslaught of negative news nationally and internationally tends to reduce the “thankfulness quotient.” Nevertheless, the Scriptures give us these challenging words: “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

This verse doesn’t tell us to be thankful in some circumstances, or even most of them. We’re told to give thanks in all circumstances. As a friend of mine often says, when the Bible says “all,” it means ALL. Even if we find there’s too much month left at the end of our pay, we’re to be thankful. Even when the physician gives us a diagnosis we don’t like, we’re to give thanks. Even when we’ve been wronged, and it appears there’s been no justice against the wrongdoer, God wants us to have an attitude of thanksgiving anyway.

Thousands of years ago, King Solomon recorded his quest for happiness and ultimate gratification. His findings are recorded in the Old Testament book we call Ecclesiastes. Much of what he concluded is pretty dismal: “Meaningless! Meaningless!… Utter meaninglessness! Everything is meaningless” (Ecclesiastes 1:2) is how he starts off, repeating it often over the succeeding chapters.

He doesn’t sound very thankful, does he? Solomon was called the wisest man of all time, possessing more wealth than anyone could imagine. If he couldn’t find reason to give thanks in all circumstances, how can we be expected to do so?

But not everything the king wrote was discouraging. His pursuit of pleasure and prosperity did give him much-needed perspective. Because he also realized, “I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil – this is the gift of God” (Ecclesiastes 3:12-13).

At the end of his writings, Solomon added this summary: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). He seemed to be saying that if we keep the Lord foremost in our lives and our thoughts, He will give us more than we need for living a thankful life.

And in the New Testament, we discover an even greater “gift from God.” Ephesians 2:8-9 assures all who trust in Him, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Salvation, forgiveness for our sins, reconciliation with God – and the faith to believe we have all this – are more than enough cause for giving thanks, not only on Thanksgiving Day but also every day, regardless of our current circumstances.

As we express and live out our thanksgiving despite the situations in which we must live, we can serve as “thermostats” for those around us, creating an environment of thankfulness for others to experience.

Never Look a Gift Card in the Mouth

Do you know the most profitable items any retail store can sell? They’re probably gift cards, because often they’re never redeemed. Someone has handed over a chunk of cash to buy someone else a gift they’ll not receive.

It’s estimated that between eight and 10 percent of gift cards go unredeemed. They’re stashed in wallets and forgotten, hidden in drawers, or disposed of accidentally. Every year more than $1 billion in gift cards go unused. That’s a lot of Starbucks coffee, iTunes music and Walmart merchandise never claimed!

Gift cards are valuable - but only if they're used.

Even though we live in a consumer-oriented society, this doesn’t surprise me. I just checked, and I’ve got several unused or only partially used gift cards. They’re nice to have, but sometimes we lose track of them. Out of sight, out of mind. (However, now that I’ve reminded myself, I plan to use them before they slip my mind again.)

One good thing about a forgotten gift card is stumbling across it. It’s like finding buried treasure. It was there all the time; we just didn’t realize it.

You know what’s worse than unexpended gift cards? Unclaimed or unused gifts from God. In the Scriptures, we read about the gift of salvation, His assurance of eternal life: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

The apostle Paul wrote to believers in the ancient city of Corinth, “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15). Elsewhere he writes about “God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ…” (Romans 5:15).

Unfortunately, this priceless gift is too often treated like a retail gift card that’s been cast aside. People never tap into its potential value, either through ignorance (they don’t know it’s available), neglect (they’ve forgotten about it), or denial (they choose not to receive the gift to apply it to their credit).

What’s exciting is when an individual does discover this gift, at last understanding its worth and eagerly receiving all it entails. It’s that “Wow!” moment many of us still remember, the start of a transformed life we could never have imagined. Much better than finding a long-forgotten gift card neatly tucked away in the sock drawer!

Salvation – once-and-for-all forgiveness, and the promise of life eternal – isn’t the only gift the Scriptures tell us is available. We read also about spiritual gifts, enumerated in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and other passages. These include the gifts of leadership, teaching, mercy, faith, encouragement, giving, serving, and others. We’re told every follower of Christ has at least one spiritual gift, intended to complement the work and service of other members of God’s family, just as the organs of a human body function together in harmony to promote health.

Similar to gift cards, however, the availability of spiritual gifts doesn’t guarantee their usefulness. For this reason, Paul repeatedly exhorted his protégé, Timothy, to be a faithful steward of what God had given him. He wrote, “Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery [elders of the church]” (1 Timothy 4:14).

In a second letter to Timothy, Paul repeated the challenge: “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands (2 Timothy 1:6). Recipients of the Lord's gifts, we’re to put them into use, making them even more fruitful through practice.

Failing to utilize a gift card is a sad waste, both for the giver and the recipient. Failure to receive God’s far more precious gift – “…the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23) – as well as the spiritual gifts He entrusts to us to serve in advancing His purposes on earth, is worse than a waste. It’s a tragedy beyond words.