Did you hear about the small riot that took place in a retail clothing store in Columbus earlier today?
A woman in a stretch limo arrived at a Burlington Coat Factory location and upon entering the store loudly announced that she’d just won the lottery and would pay for all customer’s purchases up to $500.oo each!
Obviously people became excited, clothes flew off the racks, and thousands of dollars in purchases were made as this lottery-winning woman watched.
There was just one problem … the lucky lady who’d made the announcement was a liar – she didn’t have any money, and before long the customers noticed she wasn’t actually paying for anyone’s new clothes.
You would think that the customers who’d been taken in by this woman would be upset, and they were, but instead of putting the clothes back like civilized human beings, the steamed customers threw a collective temper tantrum and tore the store apart looting.
Can you hear them? “This stuff is MINE! I DESERVE this!”
I feel sorry for the store employees – they didn’t ask for this to happen to them.
What a bunch of animals … right?
Hold on.
It’s easy to look down my nose at these people and say to myself that I’m more well-behaved than they are. I mean, come on – I wouldn’t be caught dead looting, much less alive.
But on further introspection, I realize I suffer from the same bad attitude underlying the ridiculous actions of this group of fools.
That, my friends, is an attitude of entitlement.
Wikipedia defines entitlement as “the guarantee of access to benefits because of rights” and a “belief that one is deserving of some particular reward or benefit.”
If a person has a “sense of entitlement,” they believe they deserve certain things, if, for no other reason, than they exist.
You may struggle with this too not even realizing it, and I’ll tell you why: we live in a culture driven by this attitude of entitlement.
Consider how our country was founded. Certain inalienable rights are free to all men and women. We’re all equal – we’re all to be taken care of – we’re all deserving of only the best. This isn’t all bad – don’t get me wrong. I do believe human beings should take care of one another as that’s what God desires us to do … it’s this ‘deserving’ part I have a problem with. What do we really deserve when you get down to it?
Further consider: in the western world, we’re bombarded day after day with messages regarding our right to do this or that, say this or that, own this or that, have this or that taken care of for us … because we DESERVE it.
If you don’t believe me, watch an hour of television tonight and count the number of messages you pick up that feed into your sense of entitlement. Thumb through any major magazine or newspaper … if you haven’t looked for it before, you may be surprised to learn how desensitized you are to these messages for the same reason a fish doesn’t know it’s wet until it jumps out of the ocean onto the beach.
Our people live in the shadow of the tree of entitlement, and the bitter seed of self-centeredness and selfish pride is at its root daily being watered by popular culture. This tree produces bad fruit: that of the sin of Eve found in Genesis 3.
I believe there are a few healthy questions we Christians need to ask ourselves:
- As a follower of Jesus, how can I get over my own pride and self-centeredness?
- As a follower of Jesus making more followers of Jesus, how can I help others get over their pride and self-centeredness?
Just thinking out loud here tonight – you’re welcome to do a bit of thinking with me.
Here’s the full story on the clothing store riot, and here’s a video summary:
I may be wrong, but I especially see a sense of entitlement in ministers, especially because I am one. Church members like to show love to ministers, and ministers come to expect it.
Regarding inalienable rights: Robert Smelser did an excellent presentation on this:
http://www.slideshare.net/simplyrobert/certain-inalienable-rights
Grace and peace,
Tim Archer
Tim, (nice to meet chya!) There’s nothing wrong with loving our preachers, and nothing wrong with them expecting our love. We should be encouraged to love those who labor among us the way they do! I can only imagine some of what they deal with. Many of them have some beautiful feet and are busy spreading the gospel…among so many other less desirable tasks, I’m sure. As a child I grew up in a denominational church where there were no such thing as elders, and the preacher was elevated in the congregation (and community) the way elders should be perhaps…I think we are discussing a False sense of entitlement…when “pecking orders” develop and pride and self-centeredness weakens a congregation’s love for each other. I am a woman, and will never be a preacher, of course, but I can be a minister (a servant) to others. But I don’t do very well on my own steam. I need God’s help. I can encourage others with scripture, and serve in many other ways. So many members think some jobs are only for the preacher to do. Diffusion of responsibility is wrong. So easy to find fault with him because he is seen as a “representative” of the church…but aren’t we all to be ambassadors? This false double standard of hierarchy cuts both ways and filters all the way down to the smallest group or team within a church body. In His Church we have an unending debt of love to repay to each other. There is no room or energy for selfish ambition and prideful egos. We should regard others better than ourselves, right? I will strive to stand back to back, with a prayer in my heart, for every member of His Church, even if they have been less than perfect in their treatment toward me…because Christ died for me so I can be in Heaven eternally! But I am talking about how the world and how it views people comes into play in the social network of a congregation. “God does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.” We owe an unending debt of love to each other. And the joy and peace we get out of that is so rich! Pride blinds and cheats people out of that.
Tim – thank you very much for posting a link to that slideshow! It illustrates exactly what I’ve come to believe about liberty.
I also see what you’re saying about ministers. As I mentioned above, I struggle with this too … glad to hear I’m not alone!
Karen Bland responded with this comment on Facebook (along with several others) – I like this so I’m reposting:
Very interesting Wes…ENTITLEMENT? I agree… wholeheartedly! How we TREAT others says a lot about ourselves! ESPECIALLY when we THINK we have been wronged. PROVERBS: It is to our honor to overlook a slight.
I really appreciate your comments, Wes. I had not thought about that word, entitlement. How far reaching and damaging that sort of attitude is, especially within the Lord’s church/body of true believers. But it is so damaging in any relationship isn’t it? Honestly, can we ever give back more than we take? It would be so good to try!
The attitude of entitlement can even show up in a FALSE SENSE OF HIERARCHY in a congregation. We often seem to struggle with the meaning of the word HUMILITY. Pride blinds and robs. Egos take over. Some can even get pretty haughty about it! Then there is a lack of love; and self-centeredness thrives! We people easily start thinking way more of ourselves than we ought. The momentum of self pride is incredible at it worst!
We are so encouraged when we hear of new congregations being established in the mission field, but it is so shameful and sad when well established churches come apart at the seams! Entitlement? Whose? And entitled to what? Chronic symptoms are just as insidious as acute symptoms. Maybe more.
We are all ministers, and it is His Church. His Church…not the preacher’s, not the elders’, not mine…but Christ’s Church. I no longer belong to myself but to Him.
One preacher that Allen and I knew years ago said that religious errors are due to confusions between the physical and the spiritual. So to clarify for anyone who might be easily confused, I am not talking about something as unimportant as a physical building. It should not have to be said, but it does need to be said for a reminder: People are more important than things. God does not need us to maintain or build Him a temple..been there, and covered that in His Word.
Luke 17:10 “So you, too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done’ “.
It is just not for our “leaders: preachers, elders, and deacons” to set the example like parents would for their children. But EACH MEMBER must set the example of loving, humble, servitude WITH thankfulness and praise!!!
I guess it comes down to what someone might view as a threat to their IDENTITY. Hmmm. Teacher, Lawyer, Doctor, Butcher, or Thief? We are called to be MORE….SO MUCH MORE…BY BEING LESS! How cool is that???
Jesus was an humble servant even to sinners.
Loving compassion: To quote child’s sayings: “Nobody chief, everybody Indians.” and “Nobody Big, everybody Little.” ha ha so true! There is a battle isn’t there? What difference does it make who the Lieutenant is? I know who is in charge, and who determines the outcome, and who has already won! Now is seems funny to me how the grunts are busy while some are running around strutting their uniforms. Now what I have to strive to remember is that the battle is not a battle against flesh and blood.
The bible says “Humble yourselves before God and He will exalt you.” We build our faith in reading God’s word, we must keep sober, and keep on the armor mentioned in Ephesians. It is a choice to be Christlike and to pour oneself out like He did for us. Submission is a choice, not even imposed by God.
Entitlement? Good word. God gave us a GIFT!!!
I haven’t really written anything that we haven’t heard in scripture many times, but I think we need some fine tuning to more fully and joyfully become what He would have us to be within HIS CHURCH. I wrote all this in hopes that it will be helpful to someone who may be reading your site. Thanks Wes! Say his to Ariel for me!:) So happy to hear about the new baby!!! 
Sincerely and joyfully yours in Him, Karen
Wes,
That is a very thoughtful post. I struggle with this issue. Everyday! Is it being a wise parent and person to desire enough family income to be able to buy a home or does the desire for home ownership stem from a sense of entitlement? Where is the line between persuing a modest income/net-worth for the stability and security of those dependent on me and persuing an income/net-worth rooted in a sense of entitlement. I wish I knew…I would sleep easier.
Grace and peace,
Rex
Sorry, I can’t resist encouraging you!
After this post I will go back to being a silent reader. maybe. 
Matthew 18:19,20 “..if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.”
Psalms 37:4, 5 Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. (This scripture is the reason our daughter exists. She is now 22 and is a student at Lubbock Christian)