Entitled

I think that one of the sneakiest sins is entitlement. Why? Because you think you deserve to have that sin in your life! I deserve this. It is right for me to have it.

There are plenty of strategies for dealing with this sin, but I'd like to suggest that knowing God is the Creator is quite powerful.

Consider every atom in your body. All of them were fashioned by God. Consider everything you own. Look at one object in your house. Your phone or your computer. God fashioned the physical structures that enable that object to begin existing and continuing to exist.

The saying I heard when I did campus ministry at Harvard (this might also be from Andy Crouch?), is that there were three ways to go through that school.

The first way was entitled. I deserve to be here, I am the best of the best, and this is what should come to me. And if they were that accomplished, it was a great experience.

The second was threatened. Oh man. I made it into Harvard but this is the biggest challenge of my life. I can't drop out - I got into Harvard! But I can't do this - it is too hard. This is overwhelming.

The third was the best way through. And it said, this is a gift. I don't deserve to be here. Someone else could have had this spot just as easily as me. I'm thankful for the opportunity. I will steward it well. I will use it to bless others.

That all makes sense for Harvard, right?

But the secret is, that's the way to look at life.

The entitled approach and the threatened approach - I've experienced them both. I don't mean to say that there aren't things we deserve - if you run the fastest time, you deserve to get the gold medal. If you are facing a major challenge, it is understandable to be overwhelmed.

But because God is the Creator, we can experience everything as a gift.

I posted something on Twitter about how great the love of God is. And one person wrote back and said that they think a milkshake is better than God's love.

I said to them, sometimes I feel that way too. But for me, the milkshake is twice as sweet when I enjoy it as a gift from a loving God.

Gratitude is awesome. You can be grateful for your body. Your physical environment. Other people. Beauty. Art. Food.

This is why Christians say grace before every meal - because God is the Creator, and food reminds us of his creative work, and how it nourishes our bodies.

How liberating - to know that God is the Creator frees us from entitlement.