The Curse of Entitlement

The Curse of Entitlement

It's been quite a little while since I wrote last, and that post was not even my own writing. Being busy tends to be something that makes putting off what's most important that much easier. And not that I rank blogging as part of the "most important" group. It simply tends to be one of the many things that takes lower priority when life gets hectic.

So, what I really wanted to write about actually happened last Sunday while I was helping out in the junior primary during sharing time. As could be expected, the kids were all restless and hungry (having church during the lunch hour makes for many a hungry child… and adult). I was substituting for the chorister who was out sick, which I didn't mind at all. I thoroughly enjoy being with the kids.

One young boy in the older class of kids was being particularly rowdy and despondent to calls to reverence. After I got through with the singing time I stole back to his class and sat next to him and his friends. By this time he was actually laying on the floor and aimlessly kicking the chairs in front of him. So, I thought I would distract him a little and see if I couldn't rationalize him into even mild obedience.

I quietly started talking to him and asking him different questions that would hopefully play into my master plan. He was taken a little by surprise at first, probably since most adults that talk to him are more interested in his immediate silence and conformity than what he likes to do. He seemed to enjoy the unique nature of our conversation and obliged me with meaningful responses.

I eventually was able to ask him why he wasn't paying attention to the different lessons and activities during sharing time. His answer prompted deep reflection on my part and has inspired this post. He said that he didn't like to pay attention or participate in the activities because, "Church isn't fun." I probably should have expected such an answer from him, or any other kid for that matter, and not thought anything of it. Instead, after asking him a little more about what he meant, I got the deep impression that he had no motivation to expect anything else out of life than fun. If it wasn't fun, why would anyone want to do it?

As I thought about what he said I realized that his attitude is a classic example of what is wrong with how we view life and what our way of life has come to instill in us. From 6 year-olds all the way up to retirees, this attitude of being entitled to nothing but fun and ease is rotting away the foundation of critical, time-honored values. Values like gaining enjoyment from an honest day's work, or working hard for anything of real value, are eroding away with the onslaught of marketing messages claiming that happiness and enjoyment are found in the purchasing of goods and services meant to make our lives easier and more fun.

I know that I'm not a unique or solitary voice in proclaiming these woes, but there still seems to be so little happening to remedy the situation. That's because we are a society of consumers, ever convinced that happiness is just one purchase away. Our government is keenly aware of this, evidenced by President Bush's comments after the World Trade Center bombings that we should go on and live as normally as possible, going to movies and doing all the things that make America great.

Understand that I am definitely not against fun or entertainment in any way. We all need opportunities to relax and unwind. But when our lives are consumed by those things, then we've gone way past what fun and entertainment were intended for.

So, what are the possible remedies? Well, that is something that I will be addressing in the next couple of posts. Suffice it to say, for now, that we need to be focused on the why so much more than ever before, because that is what must be driving every last decision we make. It is key to our success in life and the hereafter. How we teach the why to our kids will be the ultimate test of our resolve in living the why.