The Temptation of Entitlement

Entitlement is sort of a word of the day for me. Really, word of the week.

I see it thrown about in political discussions, and read articles about the mindset it creates in our culture. It's a fancy word, to be sure. It is also powerful. But in reality, as it plays out in our lives, it is nothing less than deadly.

In my last post, I mentioned Satan's final desert temptation of Jesus was one of entitlement- asking Jesus to essentially believe that the Father owed Him. Jesus cut this temptation down quickly, and efficiently by stating that you don't test God. Oh, how I wish we could be like that.

Entitlement runs rampant not just in society at large- a culture, a generation, a leader who feels someone else OWES them something they have yet to earn- it is overpowering in our churches. And it is in us as individuals.

Entitlement to Control

We all want things to go our way. We want things to favor us and bear good outcomes for us. The problem comes when we are tempted to demand that we be given control. It starts simply, we think our idea is a better idea than the current idea. But the entitlement the other idea holder possesses saying that their idea runs things clashes with your feeling of entitlement to enact your idea. Then it stops being about the merit of either idea and becomes about who is in control.

In the past, the one with the entitlement to control feeling has been the one with the leadership position. But now, everyone feels they have the right to control whatever they want. In churches, I've personally seen situations where a disagreement with a church leader has led members to seek to take control of the situation because, after all, "It is my church." There it is- MY. People who have grown up in a church feel entitled to run it the way they want. On the flip-side, the newcomer feels entitled to run things their way because they have fresher ideas.

And again, its never about the ideas when it gets to this point- it is about ME. What I want, regardless of what is best for others. The answer to this temptation of entitlement to control is to consider others. Be selfless. Be what we see in Philippians 2:3-4

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Entitlement to control is about pushing yourself higher and higher- elevating yourself to a power you feel you deserve just because. The answer is humility and concern for others.

Entitlement to Privacy

We're an independent culture. We like our privacy as much we like our rugged individualism. I myself prefer solitude whenever I can get it. This often leads us to feel entitled to be able to keep things to ourselves and not share our struggles or failures, or even our faith as a whole. We say, "My faith is between me and God." This is true...sort of. See, your relationship with God is EXCEPTIONALLY personal. What transpires between you and Him can be very private and sometimes is almost secretive. But He wants us to share with others our needs, our sins, and doubts.

We don't really talk about what's going on with us. We don't often share the things God is teaching us, or working with us on. We share our socially safe sins, the ones that we know people won't judge us on, but we never talk about the stuff that actually is tearing us apart. And share our doubts and fears with each other? Forget about it!

I think leaders have this problem more than most. Pastors, teachers, elders, deacons- pick your favorite- all of us feel that to let others know of our weakness is to invite a loss of favor, a loss of trust, and maybe a loss of position. We are terrified to share those darker thoughts and actions that aren't socially safe- and we hide behind that idea that some things are better kept between our families and maybe a close friend. But what we create in the minds of the people we lead is that it is OK to keep our life sucking weaknesses to ourselves. That it is better to keep a painful secret than be set free. That it is better to close ourselves off from those who love us rather than admit we can be wrong.

I share my failures with people. My church is aware of my struggles, and I admit my failures when I realize they are there- either by my own discovery or someone pointing it out to me. I do still struggle from time to time with being defensive about it, but that is something God is working on me about. What I have come to realize is that putting up that poser wall of privacy to hide my weakness doesn't just hurt me- it hurts those I am called to lead. And it especially hurts those who are struggling in secret with the same junk I am.

Entitlement to Grace

A dangerous trend I've noticed is this idea that we are entitled to Grace. Grace is freely and abundantly given by our God, but we exploit it by justifying our sins or twisting the meaning of the Word to get what we want, while casually saying, "If I'm wrong, I've got grace."

We did not, nor will we ever, earn grace. And it is not given so we can do what we want and then collect a "Get Out of Hell Free" card on the way to the grave. Grace is given so we can know God, and pursue knowing Him more. Grace is not about making life easier, or our sins more palatable. Our acceptance of the Grace of God is, however, an entitlement. It is an entitlement to share in the life of Christ. I see grace as it is meant to be in Philippians 3: 10-11

I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

I think the idea that God (or anyone, for that matter) owes us anything is a height of selfishness. Entitlement kills us, even as we labor under the impression that what we think we are owed brings life. In fact, if the account in Isaiah 14: 13-15:

You said in your heart,
“I will ascend to the heavens;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.
I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.”
But you are brought down to the realm of the dead,
to the depths of the pit.

...is about Satan, then entitlement was kind of the sin that caused his fall. He thought himself better, deserving, even entitled to power. When we claim our entitlements, we fall as Satan fell.

To me, this makes his temptation of Jesus with entitlement in the desert in Luke 4 all the more telling. And why it seems to be a favorite temptation for you and me today.