Yesterday I talked about respect.
Today, I want to talk about entitlement.
Entitlement - verb - to give (a person) the right to do or have something
This word is what many children think they should have today. Unfortunately, we as parents feed into that manipulation that began with lack of respect.
Over the years I have been exposed to parents who wanted their children to get something for nothing. They want everything to be on equal ground whether the child has worked for something or not. They do not want their child to be singled out and not given something even when they have not earned it.
Those parents are creating entitled children.
God's Word tells us that we are truly entitled to nothing in this life, because everything we have is a gift from the Lord.
Why, then, do parents today think it is OK to expect our children to get something for doing nothing?
In our society, we give rewards to everyone on the team because we don't want anyone to feel badly.
We make sure everyone gets a trophy whether the team wins or not.
That list could do on and on.
Don't get me wrong - I want to help children succeed and do their best, but when we don't expect them to do their part in a job or a team, but expect them to get rewarded anyway, we are silently teaching our children that they don't have to work hard to get anything. They are entitled to get a reward or prize just because they are a child or because they were on the team.
They become lazy.
They become complainers.
They are never satisfied.
That is far from what the Lord wants us to be. The following verses are good to use in teaching our children.
Proverbs 6:6-11
Go to the ant, O sluggard,
Observe her ways and be wise,
Which, having no chief,
Officer or ruler,
Prepares her food in the summer
And gathers her provision in the harvest.
How long will you lie down, O sluggard?
When will you arise from your sleep?
“A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest”—
Your poverty will come in like a vagabond
And your need like an armed man.
Hebrews 13:5b
... and be content with such things as ye have, for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
God does not like laziness and, to me, that is what entitlement breeds.
Tomorrow I will talk about responsibility.
1 comment:
Entitlement is an ugly thing. It leads back to our ever-present self-centeredness. I have to admit, though, some days I think I'm entitled to a Sonic Happy Hour. :)
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