Entitled to our Detriment

What is it about society today that gives us such an overwhelming sense of entitlement?  Why do we feel that God, the world, and our friends owe us so much that we abuse what has been given freely?  Society seems to feed this warped mentality and it grows with each generation.  God chooses to bless us at different parts of our life and for many different reasons and yet we come to to expect this from him.  If the welfare or unemployment check is a few days late we go hysterical as though we actually did something over the last week to earn that money.  Some of us expect our parents to bail us out of jams with very little sense of gratitude for doing so.  Entitlement lends itself to ungratefulness real quick and it is rampant in today's society.

It is very hard in America to not have a roof over your head and food on the table.  Unlike many other countries the percent of homeless or starving in America is VERY low.  Though there are not masses living on the street or going hungry there are plenty of people who have their needs met who do nothing to achieve that.  You want that great job that will lead to paying your bills on time and putting food on the table......then WORK for it.  It is one thing to be trying to improve on your life and getting help along the way (be grateful for the help you receive don't expect it or accept it while wallowing in self pity), it something else all together to spend your life expecting others to do the work for you.  How many of us know or are someone who receives their government check each week or month and do not even make an attempt to move off of our butt to change our circumstances.  Self-pity and depression are the leading causes of homelessness in America, it certainly isn't through the lack of opportunity.

Now granted its not always easy to achieve but then that is what separates those who succeed and those who don't.  How much do you really want it.  There are 24hrs in a day what are you doing with the time God has graciously allowed you draw breath?  Are you spending 10hrs sleeping, playing video games, or generally being unproductive?  If so then on what grounds do you expect to achieve?  We are called to be good stewards with what we have been given the greatest of which is our life.  If we are spending so much energy expecting our rent to be paid or food to be provided to us yet we are not doing Everything in our power to do so ourselves then are we truly being good stewards.  If we are treat others as we want to be treated then you shouldn't be surprised when the system you continue to abuse or the spouse you neglect or the friends you walk over, wake up one day and say we are done with you because you are not owed anything.  Rather then being owed we have a debt that took the blood of an innocent to pay and our belief in entitlement leads to our ungratefulness for his provisions through others to us and ultimately a ungratefulness for his sacrifice.