This past weekend was hard for me because of the financial
burden involved in moving. I got a
second job in order to pay for the move, but on Sunday I used money from my
second job to pay for the tithe from my full-time job. It was frustrating to watch the money I
earned on Saturday enter the church basket on Sunday. As I was talking to a
friend, I realized how frustrated I really was.
I told my friend that I didn’t want give to the local church,
because the rest of the paycheck pays for seminary. Am I not already sacrificing a lot in order
to go to seminary? Do I really need to
give more? As I continued talking, I
realized that I was angry and struggling with entitlement issues.
Entitlement is something we all struggle with. We say that God wants us to do something, and
then feel entitled to receive His blessings when we obey. We begin to question God’s mercy and wisdom
once the trials happen, and fail to see that God never promised a painless life.
Americans in the 21st century aren’t the only ones
who struggle with entitlement, though; the bible is full of people who struggle
with it as well. In fact, Paul addresses
two believers in Philippi who wanted their way.
Look at what Paul says to a group of believers in
Philippians 4:2-3:
2 Now
I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle
your disagreement. 3 And I ask you, my true
partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling
others the Good News. They worked along with Clement and the rest of my
co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life.
Fighting and division is a problem for everyone, including
Christians from the bible. Gratefully,
God doesn’t abandon us or leave us to figure out our problems on our own,
instead, He tells us how to overcome our issues through the wisdom found in
Paul’s letter. Read Philippians 4:4-7:
4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I
say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you
are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
6 Don’t
worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need,
and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will
experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace
will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
As you can see, it’s a matter of perspective and will. We can gain a new perspective by remembering
that Jesus has helped us in the past and He will help us again if we ask. But we also need to make a choice to rejoice
in His faithfulness.
Taking time to remember what the Lord has done proved
helpful. I realized that Jesus gave more
than 10% of His life: He gave 100%. I
also remembered that it’s not my money, it’s His. He gave me the energy and ability necessary
to make money, and I give Him a portion of it back. I finally remembered that it was my choice to
go to school, which I knew would require hardships. Initially, the blessings of school outweighed
the hardships, but eventually hardships steal our joy and leave us with a
bitter perspective. We change our
perspective by remembering what the Lord has done and choosing to grateful.
Paul continues in Philippians 4:7 by saying that God’s peace
comes after the choice to rejoice, and that’s what happened to me.
I was able to recognize my entitlement issue after sharing
my frustration with other people, and then I had to decide whether to demand my
way or submit to God. I experienced a
sense of peace the more I submitted.
I think that’s one of the cool things about God. He knew that I was being selfish and
entitled, but He patiently and gently revealed it to me. The revelation process was hard, but it
brought me closer to God and to other people.
So here is the question:
Is your heart divided, and causing anger or resentment? Are you willing to remember the good things
that God has given for you (including His son)?
Are you willing to call your issue a sin? Are you willing to thank Him for His mercy? Then ask Him for help! You won’t be disappointed.
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