The Real Problem With Youth
What is the problem with today's youth? A million things just probably popped into your head: media, music, sex, drugs, violence, apathy, ignorance, depression, video games, etc (times infinity). However, the overwhelming answer was a word that begins with “e”, Enlightened, Egotistical, Eccentric, Embossed, Extinguished (oh wait, that distinguished... and I think I just started to write any “e” word that came to mind). Slight digression, back on track, what is the word that most people call this generation of youth? Entitled. Most adults see this generation (whatever you label them. Let's see, there was Generation X and I believe Generation Y, so there must have been a Generation Z, and don't forget the Pepsi Generation), but for name sake let's just call this generation the Children of the Millennium or CM for short as having entitlement issues. The CM want everything, they want everything now and they want everything given to them. Roll with me, I'm not trying to point the finger at one generation in particular. I think that this issue of entitlement has been growing for the past 50-60 years. Parents work hard to provide a better life for their children, those children have had children that now want everything handed to them because the idea of 'NOW' has been instilled in them, thanks society! Since we've identified the problem I guess we need to ask where does this issue come from, what breeds entitlement?
Just looking at entitlement won't tell us what breeds it, the only way to find out what breeds it is to find out what the opposite of entitlement is. I propose that gratitude is the opposite of entitlement (Thanks Jason), being thankful or appreciative in all circumstances and situations. However there are so many barriers that stop us from showing gratitude in every area of our lives.
Barriers:
- The simple fact that we are human: Just being human stops us from showing gratitude. Why, because we are sinners and don't see every circumstance and situation as deserving gratitude. Especially the ones that don't go our way or hold us back from getting what we want.
- We don't think we belong where we're at: How can we give gratitude to a situation that we don't think we deserve to be in?
- We want everything now: By wanting everything now, we lose the sense of pride and thankfulness of taking the time to earn it. Yes, it's okay to take pride in your work and the time you put into your work to earn something you truly want.
I think that Morgan Freeman said it best in Evan Almighty when he said, “Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?”
Entitlement is the opposite of gratitude and gratitude is built through working for what you want. God gives us the opportunities to work toward what we want. Just because we pray for healing, peace or strength doesn't mean that God is going to instantly give them to us. In most circumstances we are going to have to work to build those traits in our lives. Are we entitled to peace, healing, strength and everything else God has promised us? Simple answer, Yes! Complicated answer, no.
This is just part 1 in my Entitlement Series, luckily it is a 2 part series. Come back in a week and read my second part that looks at God and Him possibly having entitlement issues.
Philippians 4:10-13
