Entitlement

The only thing we are entitled to is death.

That is a sobering thought, isn’t it? All we have, all we desire—we deserve none of it. Even a roof over our heads, clothing on our back, and food on our tables are divine gifts provided by the Sovereign King whom we has rejected, scorned, betrayed, and rebelled against in the harshest sense of each of those words. Only His deep love and longsuffering mercy prevents Him from sending each of us—you, me, our families, our friends, our churches—straight to hell.

Yet we presume on His patience and His grace. We act according to what is right in our eyes. We demand He gives us what we what when we want it. Then we become upset when He doesn’t do it or forget to thank Him when He does.

And such is the insidiousness of entitlement that it creeps into our lives unseen in numerous ways: Frustration over someone cutting in front of us or when a store doesn’t have what we want. Jealously over another person getting what we want, whether the latest electronic device or that job promotion. Anger at the “unfair” treatment we receive as individuals or as a collective group united by ethnicity, religion, or political beliefs.

O LORD, forgive such arrogance and presumption! Humble our hearts to see what a gracious gift all we have is. Fill our mouths again with praise instead of grumbling.