August 5, 2021
When You're Grumpy with God Over What You Haven't Gotten
Barb Roose Today's Truth
"'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours'" (Luke 15:31, NLT). Friend to Friend
When am I finally going to get what I deserve? Maybe you've muttered those words under your breath while reading an email from your boss. Perhaps you've spat those words out in anger after a visit with your parents or your kids. You feel like you've bent over backward, but you still don't feel appreciated, even though you put in the time, effort, or energy to earn it. One summer, my youngest daughter worked on the restaurant staff at a dream destination theme park. She called home to express frustration with customers who yelled and even bullied restaurant employees when a ketchup container was empty, or an ordered sandwich was missing bacon. She remarked that customers justified their rude behavior with the common explanation, "I paid a lot of money to come here." In their minds, paying for a high-priced vacation meant that they could behave rudely or unkindly if their experience was less than perfect. This is an example of entitled thinking. No one wants to admit to feeling entitled, but as Christians, it's a sneaky attitude that can creep into the most mature Christian's life without notice. Spiritual entitlement harbors secret beliefs like, "If I am a good person, then I shouldn't have to suffer" or, "If I pray enough, then God should give me what I want." However, spiritual entitlement is the stairway to resentment toward God. We can get grumpy with God because He hasn't or doesn't give us what we think that we deserve. If you're feeling angry with God or resentful toward God, it's okay, He can take it. However, your task is to tackle any entitled mindset that is stinking up your thinking. Letting go of an entitled mindset frees you to remember the power of God's grace over what you think that you should get. It's basking in God's grace, remembering the freedom you enjoy rather than the consequences of your sin. In Luke 15, Jesus taught a group of religious leaders about entitlement mentality in a way that they never saw coming. As Jesus told the story of the prodigal son coming home, the religious leaders squirmed at the idea of grace. Why would the young man be restored to his rightful place after such bad behavior? | 
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