Culture of Entitlement

Here in the Pacific Northwest, more and more, I witness the demonstration of a prevailing culture of entitlement.  Here are just some examples from this week you can chew over for fun - and it is only Tuesday!:

I am at Wendy's, waiting to order a frosty to beat the heat, the man in front of me pays for his combo burger, gets his change, looks at it, then shouts, "What the *&^&^%^$%# is this?" and throws the change at the cashier.  I notice that she had given him 10 nickels and three pennies.  He wanted quarters and she did not have any.  The manager comes over, sizes it up rather quickly and as she picks up the change explains to him that there are nice ways of asking for things and throwing is never acceptable indoors.  Gee, exactly the the lesson my three year grandson learned this year.   And this guy is a 30 something!

Last night two cars take off from a bridge closure, for a boat, racing at very high speed and manage to whack each other on the first curve.  Net result, two destroyed sports cars, one injured in critical condition at Harborview (Seattle's trauma center), one in jail for vehicular assault, and ALL of the traffic behind them forced to wait 5 hours for the mess to be cleaned up so that traffic could once again drive to their homes.  There was nothing left of those cars and my son was stuck in the backup until 5 am!  (Okay, sure I was guilty of racing in my early years as well, but it was always on closed roads and never in traffic!  Oh to have that Alfa Romeo back.....sigh.....)

Children demand, whatever, with "but I want it!".

Adults tell you, that you have to act a certain way because they have decided to act a certain way ..... and since when is anyone else's actions dictated by your own?  No we are not talking any form of authority figure here.

Of course, in government now we have employees dictating national policy because they can, and really whom is to stop them?  Somehow asking for forgiveness is easy that asking permission and being turned down.  Really?  If you were my employee - you would be find your next job hard to find even at Burger King, after you were let out of jail .....

Everywhere I look in culture is the prevalence of this narcissism which demands that "my will be done, now!".  And somehow no one makes the connection between expectation, lack of accomplishment (or success) and the occasional butt kicking?  Very weird.

Actually, it is extremely hard to find in history a narcissistic cultural which survives.  Why?  Because no one else is going to put up with  you, you are expected to kowtow to them!  Not the other way around!  Gees, what turnip wagon did you just fall off of?

And again, I am reminded of Gibbon's "Rise and Fall of the Rome Empire", where in the populous, unable to break its dependency upon the central government, fell to a barbarous horde they greatly out numbered and greatly were over armed against.  Yet Rome fell.

Okay, well now that you think I am a doom and gloom - We have learned this year that actually there were a series of plagues which swept through the Roman Empire in the 4th and 5th centuries.  It may well have killed between 1/3 and 1/2 of the population.  The barbarians, coming from the north had not the pleasure, yet, of meeting the black plague.  Rome fell to a weakened, however still viable Rome.  And as for the Visagoths, well their return home with their plunder also included a few boils, rashes, fevers, and fleas.....

But, I am a Christian, I do believe that God does hold my days in His hand, Psalm 31:15.  That means a great deal to me.  It means my days are His, I will live as long as He desires, at His pleasure - still not getting it?  My days are numbered!  But, it also means that He will do as He will do with or without me.  My job is to align myself to His plan and His path, not for my own validation, pleasure, or accomplishment - but His.

In a correct perspective - if I think too highly of myself or put myself first, God will use someone else.  If I mess up, God will use someone else.  If I am doing His will for the wrong reason, God will use someone else.  No, it is not a judgement or a punishment, it is loss of opportunity for service and blessing.  And no, only you (sometimes) and God know for sure.  Others may guess and might even get it right but it is really between you and God.  Of course you have the ability to sin and impact everyone in your environment - your witnessing opportunities,  your relationships, all you have set out to do.  But you have to cautious being judgmental even of  yourself, God's message might not be you hosed up, but try again.....

And please, think a whole lot less of yourself, for your own sake.....