The Entitlement Epidemic: Are We Doing Our Youth A Disservice?
I’ve been pondering this lately. You see, Glenn and I are blessed with having four young men (ages 22-17). When the oldest three were in public high school, I had the opportunity to work there as well. I witnessed that truly, the culture our teens are growing up in is different then what I experienced during my education. In our high school, they’re no longer giving letter grades because they don’t want anyone to feel better or worse about themselves, students have more freedom and free time because they have demanded it and believe it is their right, and the thought of any type of authority; that someone else other than themselves is in charge, leaves many of them ready to charge like a bull in a rodeo. I could go on and on but it all boils down to this… it’s all about how they feel. The reality is… as we send them off into life's journey as they finish their school days are done and head into the workplace, they are shocked to find employers can care less about their feelings. Instead they find performance will be constantly under evaluation, your time is not your own, and most likely someone other than yourself will be calling the shots. Your supervisor is not interested in how you feel… they’re interested in work ethic and how well you can do the job. I believe our society is beginning to reap the consequences of this attitude in ways we may not have anticipated. While we may be tempted to say this mindset exists solely in our youth cultures mindset~ these last weeks I have seen how influence I have become personally been as well. Remember that old Mcdonald's commercial, “You deserve a break today…” How often do I think along those lines… that I somehow deserve what I have and what I want? My perception is skewed. I complain after a long day, I deserve chocolate… I deserve a vacation… I deserve a puppy… I deserve a nice home, good health, financial stability, a happy family, less stress and the list goes on. But you know what, really -- I don’t. Truth is I don’t deserve what I have. All that I have and am are all gifts given to me by a loving Father. It’s not about me; it’s about Him. That brings me around to this big whammy of a thought I’ve been chewing on as I’m preparing to write a new story. (Keep an eye on my webpage for details next month.) If the world doesn’t revolve around me, if I’m not as big, not as important, not as “game changing” as I may at times subconsciously think… then who am I, really? Who am I that the God of the universe would be mindful of me; not because I deserve it, but rather out of His abundant mercy and grace? Perhaps today, you too have forgotten who you are. Let’s take a moment to encourage and remind each other who God says we are simply because we’re His. I’ll start and I’d love to see how long our list can get.
*I am loved. John 15:9
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(On a writing note, EA West is highlighting one of my books on her blog. Please stop by and say hi: https://thewestcorner.wordpress.com/2018/05/07/monday-mentions-detour-destination-abiding-love-by-joann-carter/)