Stop acting so proud and haughty! Don’t speak with such arrogance! For the Lord is a God who knows what you have done; he will judge your actions.
—1 Samuel 2:3
Scripture:
Long ago, when prognosticators and science fiction writers envisioned life in the twenty-first century, few anticipated the outsize role that a culture-wide sense of entitlement would play. And by “a sense of entitlement,” I mean the idea that you don’t have to work hard and that everything should be given to you because you’re so wonderful.
I was born in the generation known as the Baby Boomers. My generation thought the problem with the world was low self-esteem. As a result, a lot of emphasis was given to, and a lot of money was spent on, the self-esteem movement. That started the snowball effect.
The downhill slope has led to our current influencer culture, where self-esteem has curdled into narcissism. Millions of people now believe that even their most trivial thoughts and actions are worthy of being documented on video and shared with the world.
Exposure, fame, and social media clout have become currency. People who have those things celebrate their “wealth” with jaw-dropping displays of entitlement. Because their social reach is so enormous, this sense of entitlement has become normalized in younger generations—and among older generations as well. People expect to be rewarded, celebrated, and admired regardless of their performance.
This trend doesn’t bode well for the future. God’s Word makes it clear that a sense of entitlement has no place in our relationship with the Lord. First Samuel 2:3 says, “Stop acting so proud and haughty! Don’t speak with such arrogance! For the Lord is a God who knows what you have done; he will judge your actions” (NLT).
The apostle Paul wrote, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too” (Philippians 2:3–4 NLT).
He also wrote, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2 NLT).
And therein lies the key to “disentitling” ourselves. Our number one goal must be to know God and then to find His plan and purpose for our lives. This is the only foundation strong enough for our future.
Fame is fleeting. The public’s attitude is fickle. Entitlement is an illusion. Only God’s plan and purpose will last. They must be our priority.
The good news is that God will work His plan and purpose in the life of anyone who asks Him to. All we have to do is humbly approach Him, admit that our efforts aren’t enough, and ask Him to guide us.
He offers a 24/7 helpline through prayer and His Word. We have nothing to lose but our uncertainty and entitlement by aligning our goals with God and entrusting our future to Him.
Reflection question: How can you avoid a sense of entitlement in your life? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!
