There is much talk about those with the entitlement mentality. It really should be no surprise, since the Bible told us the days were coming when this very attitude would impregnate the world. It just didn’t use the word, “entitlement.” Take a look at one scripture text:
But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power (2 Timothy 3:1-5).
How did it get here, and how did it get so pervasive in our time and culture? In simple shorthand, it came in through lust and pride. Of what do the things of the world consist as defined in 1 John 2:16? The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life (see verse for full context). Frankly, these characteristics have been around since Genesis. It is definitely not new.
Some might say social media is culpable, but is it really? Perhaps, it serves more as a magnifying glass, exposing the condition of hearts. It actually is neutral in nature. How it gets used is determined by the users; who incidentally, are free to shut it off anytime. People do use it to influence others, positive or negative. Keep in mind also that people choose what content they digest. Without going too crazy on this topic, one thing social media highlights is the pride life. How many engage on the various platforms in order to become famous? To what end? How many choose only the best pictures to represent themselves? A little crop here, a little photo-shop there and viola, the perfect picture! At the same time, there is a call for the genuine where people simply share who they are in the moment. Social media may or may not be a cause of entitlement, but it can definitely feed into it. It still boils down to the user.
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it. Parenting or its lack is another thing at play when it comes to the entitlement culture. When society abandons biblical principles in the name of being progressive, we cannot expect things such as work ethic, discipline and genuine service to others to continue. To be fair, not every culture was based on biblical principles. Nonetheless, if parents do not properly engage with their children, there will be consequences. That includes standing between their children and society. Parenting requires a backbone. Generally, parents want their children to have better lives than they had. Some of the methods parents (collectively speaking) implemented while trying to make things better may have backfired. For example, overly protecting them from failure actually sets them up for serious failure. How can they learn without occasionally making mistakes? Yes, children’s mental and emotional wellbeing need protecting, but if they’re insulated too much from pain, they may be headed toward unbelievable agony when no one is there to shield them from it.
Hebrews 5:8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. This passage of Scripture is actually referring to Jesus. Suffering is not all bad. It actually helps us come to be our best version. Do remember that a time is coming when there will be no more misery; but until then, don’t shun it too much. Believe it or not, a good deal of society’s ills are the result of trying to avoid pain. Why are so many on medication or abusing drugs? God, Who is the Ultimate Parent, disciplines His children because He loves them (see Hebrews 12:4-13).
Another side issue is when parents are insecure, they tend to give in to their child’s every demand. Because they don’t love themselves properly as God loves them, they have an unhealthy desire to be loved or liked by their child. As a result, they hand the reigns over to the child. Children need to be trained in order to properly handle authority. If someone doesn’t tell his or her child “no” at the appropriate time, that child is in trouble. Insecurity keeps things out of balance. The opposite extreme also results from insecurity. This is where child abuse comes in and destroys the child. Rage may make someone feel empowered, but it embitters the child to say the least. Bitterness also leads to feelings of entitlement, which will be addressed in greater detail next time.
