Does "Entitlement" Begin At Home?

We hear a lot about “entitlement” these days. Government “entitlement” programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and the current administration’s proposed Healthcare system, have all had a great deal of media coverage for the past several months. We hear this word, “entitlement” a great deal in the debates that go on between the political parties.

So what exactly is entitlement? Essentially it is simply a “right” granted by law. When it comes to government programs, it means that the government provides benefits directly a specified group by way of law. It hinges on the belief that one is “deserving of,” or “entitled to” certain privileges. I remember this was a defining moment to me in the debates before our last Presidential election. When both candidates were asked whether health insurance was a “privilege” or a “right,” their answers were completely and very remarkably in my mind, DIFFERENT.

Entitlement programs in our government, account for more than half of our federal spending and have been on the increase. Is that biblical?

This past week I was interested in the resurrection of a quote from former President Ronald Reagan, who said “It is very easy to disguise a medical program as a humanitarian project.” This brought to my mind what we are told in scripture about Satan “disguising himself as an angel of light.” It is the very reason that the Proverbs implore us to “Seek wisdom” and “Get understanding.” We must embrace the wisdom found in the Word of God and apply to our lives or we will be vulnerable to being deceived.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” Proverbs 14:12

We must not do what seems like the right thing to do, but what is actually prescribed as right in the sight of God. Volumes can be written about how far we as a society have strayed from this very point. Reagan was in actuality, backing up what we see in scripture. It is easy for someone to cloak their wrong motives by disguising them in the garb of compassion and vice versa! How many times have we as Christians been demonized as “intolerant” and “mean-spirited” because we adhere to godly principles?

The fact is that money and government programs are not true compassion. The entitlement mentality preached to us as being “right” and “compassionate” is in direct contrast to God’s word. Our founding fathers actually had it correct! We have a right to “life, liberty and the PURSUIT of happiness.” We have a right to life and freedom and to our own pursuits. But that does not relieve us from having to live with the consequences of our actions.

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall reap life everlasting.” Galations 6:7-8

God has provided us the freedom to choose for ourselves. But there are consequences to our actions. In regard to “entitlements” our heavenly father wants us to look out for the needs of the poor and the oppressed, but he clearly states and demonstrates all throughout scripture that we, as individuals, have a personal responsibility to do what we can for ourselves.

In Matthew 17:27, Jesus sends Peter to the sea to cast in a hook and take the first fish, open his mouth and take out a piece of money to pay taxes for both of them. That flies in the face of the entitlement mentality. He did not send Peter to the other disciples to get the tribute money.

In 2 Thess. 3:10, we read, “if any would not work, neither should he eat.”

An “entitlement mentality” robs individuals of self esteem. God created us with the responsibility to do work.

“ The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” Genesis 2:15

Where does this “entitlement mentality” come from? Ultimately it comes from not knowing and/or obeying God’s word. Right thinking and behaviors are no longer demonstrated in our homes first and foremost. One of biggest culprits in my mind is that children, for the past several generations, have been seeing less and less of a connection between work and income or possessions. This “disconnect” on top of the increase in availability of credit has created a society where people simply don’t understand the value of money as it relates to work, nor do they have a healthy appreciation for what they have, because they have not invested anything personally to receive it.

When children do not connect work with receiving income in order to obtain the things they want or need, they begin to expect that things should simply be given to them.

We as parents have often neglected to teach this biblical connection between work and material blessing either because we ourselves don’t make the connection, or because we just haven’t thought about how the connection gets obscured. Furthermore, we have an innate desire to be “compassionate” to our kids and take a short-sided albeit well-meaning” approach to giving them the things they want.

My husband recognized this attitude in our children early on. When our kids wanted to have high priced items, they had to come up with all or part of the investment after answering a few good questions…

How much is the item?

How long will you have to work to pay for that item?

Did you allow for taxes in that calculation?

What other costs will be associated with having that item?

Do you still want the item?

Sometimes the answer was “no,” but if it was “yes,” the kids had an entirely different appreciation for the thing they purchased because they had to wait and save for it and because they were fully aware of the investment they had made and therefore it held a different value to them. They appreciated it more and took better care of it.

This is just another example. If we want to change the way the world thinks, it starts in our homes. We have to be intentional about teaching our children what God says is true in all areas of life or the world will do it for us. The economy is no exception!

Teaching Them How To Pray

Have you ever sat down to a meal with someone who asked their child to lead in giving thanks and the prayer was spoken so fast that you didn't even hear it? Did you ever do that when you were a child? Did you have a specific prayer that you said at every meal or when you went to bed? I did a Google search on children's prayers and was surprised at how many little poem type prayers for children there were. Here are a few examples you may be familiar with.

Thank you for the world so sweet,
Thank you for the food we eat,
Thank you for the birds that sing,
Thank you God for everything.

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God is great,
God is good.
And we thank Him
For our food. Amen.

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Lord, Bless this bunch, while we munch our lunch. Amen.

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Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
If I should die before I wake
I pray the Lord my soul to take
God bless our family and our friends.

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(And the politically correct version.)

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
May angels watch me
through the night and
wake me with the morning light.

While these are cute, ammusing, and poetic little prayers, they miss the mark of what prayer actually is. Prayer is talking with God. It is relational not religious. When we teach our children to pray a memorized prayer that was written by someone else, it becomes a set of words that can be recited at the speed of light without a thought. It's important to teach even the littlest child to talk to God from their own heart.

As adults we should also participate in the prayer and not always let the child take the lead. We are the ones who need to model prayer to our children and grand children. Jesus modeled prayer for us in Matthew 6.

"This, then, is how you should pray: " 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."  Matthew 6:9-13

In the same way, we need to model prayer with elements of praise and adoration for God, prayer for God's Kingdom and His will to reign on earth, requests for our provision, forgiveness for our sins and for those who have wronged us, for protection against temptation and against Satan. Not that all of these elements need to be included in every prayer but that they all are frequently modeled in our prayer life. In doing this we will teach our children how to develop relational prayer with God, and as we listen to them pray we will also gain insight into their hearts.

Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth. Psalm 54:2

...but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer. Psalm 66:19

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Matthew 6:7

DAD'S TWO HANDS #1

DAD'S TWO HANDS #1

"If you don't stop I'm going to tell your father when he gets home!"

That line brought my three siblings and me under control more quickly than anything else my mother could say or do to us when we misbehaved.

It's not that mom's discipline wasn't effective; many times it was. But when four kids, especially the three oldest brothers, got overly rambunctious and disorderly, it took a particularly strong hand to bring them under control.

Dad had that hand.

Years later I've wondered about my mother's practice of making dad the bad guy. I've had other dads tell me that they don't like it when their wives threaten the kids with dad's arrival home. "Wait until your dad gets home. He'll take care of you." And, I've also had the "pleasure" of being made the bad guy in my home a few times with my own kids.

I have my view about this which I will share in my next post. But, until then, how about sharing your views. Should dad be made the heavy hand in disciplining the kids?

Warren

Note: Cheryl and I are taking our teenage daughter, Kristin, to a heart specialist today for test for Mitral Valve Prolapse (MVP) and Premature Ventricular Contractions (PVC). We appreciate your prayers. Thanks, WB