Dispelling Entitlement

Sometimes when I go running, I have epiphanies.  This is the latest epiphany I had.

People feel entitled.  They feel as though they deserve __________.  Case in point, the middle one of the kiddos that I nanny, feels that he deserves to have someone play with him.  When there is no one to play, he becomes angry.  He can list many reasons that he deserves this right.

I feel entitled to decent weather.  When it snows in April and May, I get angry (and simmer on the inside).  I deserve some decent weather to exercise and drive in. {Interesting sidenote: according to merrian-webster.com, the first use of the word entitlement was in 1942.}

So as I ran, I pondered, "What dispels entitlement?  How can I go from feeling entitled to joy?"

In middle school and high school Sunday School (which Ian and I lead), our teens are currently studying Philippians.  There are four themes to Philippians: Joy in Suffering, Joy in Serving, Joy in Knowing Jesus, and Joy in Contentment.  We have talked a lot about the difference between joy and happiness.  Happiness is a temporary emotion.  Joy is an attitude of the heart (and therefore joy is a choice).

One of the best ways I have learned to cultivate joy in my life is thankfulness.  Even if our circumstances does not change, our perspective can.  The grass is greenest where you water it.

So my running epiphany last week was this: Thankfulness dispels entitlement.  I am not sure if this is 100% true, but it helps me.  I used to have a hard time being thankful.  I would think of some poor kid in Africa (sorry SAffers) that was starving in the blazing hot sun and try to well up some form of gratitude.  In the back of my mind, I would be thinking, "what is that kid thankful for?"

Then God hit me in the head.  Sure, I can be thankful for material possessions and different circumstances in my life, but I can always be thankful for who God is and what God has done.  Always.

The next time it snows in June (that does not really happen in Colorado...right?), I have a choice.  I can throw an internal tantrum or I can choose to be thankful that God is good.  Thankful that God is sovereign.  Thankful that God is holy.  Thankful that God redeems.  In the midst of inconvience (to me), God has a plan that He is working out.  God is still saving sinners.

Less of me...More of Him.

Let's chat - what are your thoughts?  Sometimes my running epiphanies have holes in them, that I do not see.  What can you be thankful for despite circumstances?

Happy 3rd Anniversary! {YAY!}

Happy Anniversary to us.  In case you were not at the wedding, (we missed you!  Even if we did not know at the time we got married, our future selves would have invited you!) here is some of the Scripture that was read:

(did you read it?  Go back and read it - it is Truth) and here is a picture:

and here is another little graphic I made to sum up the whole three years of marriage thus far (because I can clearly do that in one little graphic, especially a graphic I made in under an hour)

One of the things that I love most about Ian (and there are a lot) is his practical theology.  What Ian believes to be true about God and Life, he lives.  Part of his practical theology includes calling me out when I say one thing and do another (and that has happened plenty of times in the last three years).

Ian's theology is not some thought that gives him warm and fuzzy feelings and he learned as a child.  He thinks deeply about life and the world we live in.  Ian makes choices not based on ease of carrying out his actions, but what is best.  Ian does not leave people where they are.  He pushes them towards Truth.  (He usually tries to be gentle at this, but there are times he drags me kicking and screaming to Jesus).

The best part of Ian's theology is unconditional love and grace.  I am pretty sure I did not even understand grace when we got married.  He has dumped it on me in the bucket loads over the years.  And yet, when it is my turn to give grace to Ian, it rarely happens.  He does not give up on me.  He continues to show me grace.  Basically, Ian rocks.

And he rubs my feet at night and buys me ice cream.  It does not get better than that. 


To God be the Glory!  He is the reason that we have made it thus far and He is reason that we will continue onward.

For your continued reading pleasure:
Two Year Anniversary (it is a bunch of pictures)
One Year Anniversary (that time we went to Busan and saw sand castles)