Sunday, March 22, 2009

I'm Back

I am back from Spring Break and wishing that it wasn't over. It was a stupid idea for Spring Break to only last a week. It's funny how I look forward to school breaks for my child even more than I did for myself when I was in school. I think that makes me officially old or weird.....or both.

I suppose you have noticed that I haven't been blogging much lately (or maybe you don't really care - if so, feel free to click that little X at the top right of your screen - hahaha). The truth is that life is so busy right now that I rarely know whether I am coming or going. What I DO know is that blogging takes thought and usually by the time I sit down to blog, I am so tired that thought is an impossibility. I have lots of thoughts - the problem is getting them from my head to this blog. So, please forgive me for being absent from the comment section of your blog. It's not you - it's me (and all the things that life is throwing at me right now;-). Hopefully life will settle down soon. Hopefully.

I hope to be back later in the week with some of my usual mind-numbing randomness, but for now, I wanted to share something that I have been thinking alot about lately: Entitlement.

Why entitlement? Well, in the past couple of weeks, I have heard more than a couple of people say that they "deserve" this or "deserve" that. I actually heard one friend say, "I deserve to be happy". Well, the truth is that we all deserve one thing : hell. None of us deserves to be happy. We don't deserve ANYTHING, but God chooses to bless us with things like happiness, children, homes, etc. We have done NOTHING to deserve any of our blessings, yet if we are honest with ourselves, we all have a sense of entitlement when it comes to the things this world has to offer.

Truth be known, many people feel they deserve to go to heaven. Deserve to go to heaven? The Bible tells us that "it is by Grace we are saved, not by works lest any man should boast"....and we are great at boasting, aren't we? Our society has made us into a bunch of ingrates. Think about it.....when someone doesn't want to work, they are entitled to welfare. When a business is poorly managed and corrupt, our government races in to bail it out (regardless of the fact that CEO's are making millions and millions of dollars). How about our kids? Most kids today are being raised to believe that everyone owes them something, that they are entitled to have whatever they want and that they deserve all the "stuff" that they get. Gratefulness is a foreign concept to most children nowadays.....and sadly, most adults.


Our society is so focused on what they think they "deserve" that there is no room for God in the picture. When everyone feels they are entitled to every little thing their heart desires, the Cross is minimized and Grace is pushed to the side. We are rarely thankful for the things we feel entitled to, which may be the reason even Christians take for granted what Jesus did on the Cross.

So many people (Christians included) spend their time asking "Why me?", when the question is really "Why NOT me?". There are people in other countries (some even in this one) that have so little they are thankful for any little thing they are given. Go on a mission trip to another country and thousands of people will accept the gift of salvation, but knock on a few American doors and you will find people so arrogant and self-sufficient that they don't see a need for God (and they definitely don't think they need the church).

I am as guilty as the next person when it comes to feeling that I deserve the blessings God has given me, but my prayer is that I will get out of the mindset of entitlement and become more thankful ....in every area of my life and for everything God has blessed me with.

Off to bed.....thankfully ;-)

10 comments:

Teresa @ Grammy Girlfriend said...

I love your posts. I am glad you are back to blog.

I am having my first blog
give away, so drop by my blog and sign up.

Anonymous said...

I just love your blog and those thought provoking inserts. I have been following you 'silently' for some time now, by the way :)

It's ok to have a bit of brain freeze, I've been in pretty much the same place for my own reasons.

Blessings in Jesus!

Mari said...

You may not be here as much but you always have something good to say! Great post today.
PS - I always loved my kids breaks and vacations too, so if you're wierd, so am I!

Rachel said...

I ask "why not me" and people think I'm weird.

Glad to know Someone understands!

Amanda said...

Be careful what you pray for...you WILL get it!! I've been asking why "not" me for a while now...or actually I ask "why me" when it comes to grace, salvation, my love for God, and my heart for the lost. I look around and find so few Christians who have any of those and I wonder why God has chosen to reveal Himself to me in such a great manner. I used to get Spiritually prideful about it, but He has been gracious to humble me of that this year, too. I am such a mess and so glad that I don't get what I really deserve...I pray that others won't get what they deserve either, but will find the GRACE that they so desperately need and don't even realize!!

Tony C said...

You had more to say than you thought. Funny how that happens.

Keep writing because you have very good insights.

God bless.

Fran said...

So glad you are back. YOU ARE BACK!
Preach it girl. With you 110%.

hugs,
Fran

Kelly S. said...

Glad you guys had a good break. I can't wait for ours......we deserve it.

hahahahaha JK
Great post and I totally agree.

Greg P. said...

Hey Beth:

I haven't commented in awhile on your blog. You probably thought (or wished) I went away.
Well .... I didn't!
I'm just having a little too much fun on Facebook. I can't wait til this wears off and I get back to (ab)normal.

Alana said...

You put into words exactly how I feel about blogging right now. Just don't have the time to put the thought and effort into a decent post. It makes me sad, really.

And I completely echo your thoughts on entitlement.