A few quick thoughts on entitlement

You’re not entitled to anything.

So many of us think that we deserve something because of a good thing we did or a bad thing someone did to us. Truth is, no one deserves anything. I really can’t stand people who think they are entitled to… anything. ”You owe me.” ”You should’ve done it this way.” That’s not how life works. Well, it’s not how life should work. So many people go through life spoiled by the people around them that we, as Americans, have come to believe that every good deed should have a reward.

I fail to see the logic in that.

If I’ve helped you out and didn’t accomplish everything you wanted me to do, does that mean I owe you something? Hahaha, no. It definitely does not mean I owe you anything. It means that, for whatever reason, something you expected to be finished wasn’t finished. There are a lot of factors that could tie into that: I could just suck at life, there could be miscommunication, or you could just suck at life. The reason behind the failure isn’t important to me. People who feel like they always deserve more… they make me angry. The sad thing I’ve noticed in the last few years: the more money you have the stronger your sense of entitlement becomes. Most people living a frugal life would never dream of feeling entitled. Most rich people think about it every day. That’s just my perspective.

I was helping someone out recently who advertised (and not quietly) their “Believer” status. A few weeks prior I had heard this person gossiping to a church friend. I like to keep an open mind about people but I always notice the small things they don’t want me to notice. We had a great conversation that day about Christian music, church, the fact that I was worship leader, etc. The whole time, this person was polite and conversational, but it felt like I was talking to a fake person. We discussed entitlement in passing conversation and this person claimed, “I don’t believe in entitlement, but sometimes you expect more than what someone will give you.”

Isn’t that exactly what entitlement is? You expect something. You don’t get it. You complain about it. Two-faced Christians bother me more than any other entitled person. They claim to be strong believers but every interaction you have with them says “I want you to judge me.” What happened to the trying to live a Christ-like attitude everyday? Do “Believers” even try to do that? I know I do, and fail miserably but it’s hard to relate to a two-faced Christian… they don’t respect anyone but themselves.

This applies to every situation in life. The next time you feel like you deserve something, check yourself. Entitlement makes nice people look like the devil.