Are You Worshipping the God of Entitlement?

Entitlement is like that pesky house guest who just won't leave, and today we're diving deep into why it's taking over our holiday vibes. Are You Worshipping the God of Entitlement? We chat about how this spirit of entitlement is creeping into our lives, especially during the festive season, making us feel like we gotta give more and buy more just to keep up. I share some solid tips on how to break free from that guilt trip and shift our focus from what we think we need to a mindset of gratitude. Trust me, once you start appreciating what you have, that feeling of ‘never enough’ starts to fade away. So grab a cozy drink, kick back, and let's reframe our holiday hustle into something a bit more meaningful and chill.

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Entitlement is creeping into our lives like that one annoying relative who just won't take a hint. We kick things off with a thought-provoking quote that sets the stage for a deep dive into the spirit of entitlement, which these days feels like it’s spreading faster than a viral TikTok dance. The conversation quickly shifts to the holiday season, where Ralph bravely admits to feeling the pressure to overspend and outdo everyone else. It's a relatable struggle, especially when the holidays are supposed to be about joy, not guilt. We explore how this pressure to 'give more' can turn into a silent idol in our lives, overshadowing the true meaning of Christmas. Spoiler alert: it’s not about the size of the presents under the tree but the presence of Jesus in our hearts.

We tackle Ralph's dilemma head-on, discussing how to kick that guilt to the curb and find balance. The crux of our chat is about shifting from a mindset of entitlement to one of gratitude. And trust me, this isn’t just some feel-good mantra; it’s about making a real change in how we view our blessings. We share personal stories of how this shift has transformed our own lives, emphasizing that gratitude can break the chains of entitlement that keep us from experiencing true joy. Plus, we throw in some wisdom from Pastor Tim Keller, reminding us that when we look to possessions for meaning, we’re missing the point.

As we wrap up, we invite you to take action with us—yes, we’re talking about making a gratitude list. This simple exercise is a game-changer, helping us focus on what really matters, especially during the holiday hustle. We encourage you to gather your family and list three things that money can’t buy. By the end of our chat, we’re all about trading comparison for contentment, because when we do that, guilt loses its grip, and peace takes its place. So, let’s embrace a financially confident faith, grounded in gratitude, and remember, freedom comes from recognizing what we already have, not what we think we need.

Takeaways:

• Entitlement is like a sneaky gremlin that creeps in during the holidays, so watch out!
• When we feel entitled, we're basically telling God that what He gave us isn't enough, which is a big no-no.
• To break free from guilt, shift your focus from what you don't have to being grateful for what you do have.
• Social media can jack up our comparison game; we gotta model a different story for our kiddos.
• Gratitude is the ultimate game-changer; it helps kick entitlement to the curb and brings peace.
• Remember, true joy isn't found in stuff, but in being present and grateful for life's little blessings.

Links referenced in this episode:

• truthunveilwithralph.com

Episode Transcript

(00:28):
You know, I read this quote inpreparing for today's show. Do you
have a spirit of entitlement?Now this was an article by Daniel
Henderson. It was from churchleaders on August 9, 2023. And the
article states this. Now beready for this one. A spirit of entitlement
is growing like stage fourcancer these days. Entitlement places
self at the center of one'suniverse. Now that's deep, isn't

(00:49):
it? Which leads me to today'slistener question. Ralph, I know
Christmas is about Jesus.Well, listen, I'm happy she understands
that. But honestly, I feelpressured to buy more, give more
and keep up with everyoneelse. How do I break free from this
guilt and sense of what I'mgiving is never enough. What we're

(01:10):
talking about here is a silentidol and that's that entitlement.
It creeps into our homes everyDecember. It's not like the elf on
the shelf. It doesn't sit onthe shelf or shine with gold. But
in so many ways, it demandsyour attention, it demands your time.
And honestly, it demands yourmoney. And that God of entitlement,

(01:30):
it's that voice whispering,you deserve more. Your kids deserve
more. You're failing if youdon't give them everything. But you
ready for some truth. Thiscomes out of love. You can't serve
both contentment andcomparison. So let's find that balance
on today's show.
This is financially ConfidentChristian, your daily dose of gospel,

(01:54):
grounded insight and faithdriven tips to help you break the
cycle of financial shame with confidence.
Welcome to the show. I'mRalph. I'm so happy you chose to
join me today as I continue onthis journey of helping you break
that cycle of financial shameand do it with confidence. And over
the years, I've counseledhundreds of families who were weighed

(02:15):
down by bills. That was partof it, but bigger than that, they
were weighed down by guilt.The guilt of not doing enough, the
guilt of not spending enough,the guilt of not being enough. And
if I'm being honest, and maybeyou are going to admit this to, I've
lived in that tension as aparent. I wanted to give my kids
the world. I wanted to makesure they had everything they could

(02:36):
ever want. But there came apoint when I realized I was actually
robbing them. I was robbingthem of gratitude and I was robbing
them of peace. You know, a fewyears ago, this is really honesty.
A few years ago I noticedsomething. I was more focused on

(02:56):
what we couldn't afford andless thankful for what we already
had. I Remember looking backas I was chasing an image, this cultural
image, what the world had soldus. Listen, if you have these things,
if you can give, if you can dothis, if you can do that, that was
the image I was chasing. But Ihad to shift something and I shifted

(03:18):
to gratitude. And when I madethat shift and listen, this isn't
easy and I still battle thisevery day. So if you're still battling
this or if you're like Ralph,I never even thought about this.
This is not easy. This iswarfare. This is spiritual warfare.
But when I shifted togratitude and I promise you I'm coming
back to answer your question,everything changed. Joy deep and

(03:40):
peace returned. And I lovewhat Pastor Tim Keller says. He says
an idol is anything you lookto and say, if I had, then my life
has meaning. Now that's superpowerful, isn't it? But see, that's
what entitlement does. Itturns more into our measure of meaning.
So let's get back to ourquestion today. How do I break free

(04:01):
from this guilt and the senseof that what I'm giving is never
enough. Man, this is soappropriate for the holidays, isn't
it? And today I want to sharewith you ways to break free from
that number one thing.Entitlement is misplaced worship.
When we feel entitled. Now I'mgoing to get rather strong today,
but when we feel entitled,we're saying to God, what you've
given, God isn't enough. Oh,I'll thank you very much, Lord, but

(04:24):
I want more. This is notenough. That's not budgeting. That's
a spiritual posture. It's notabout money. See, it's not about
money. At that point, we'reworshiping the idol of entitlement
and we're basically smackingGod across the face and say, what
you've given me isn't enough,Lord. But that's a spiritual posture.
So it starts there. And see,guilt disguises idolatry. See, guilt

(04:48):
whispers something. We mustprove love through possessions. How
many people have lived a lifewhere their worth was found in possessions?
It's so easy to fall into thattrap. But listen, love doesn't need
proof. Listen, this is abattle that I still fight. Christmas
comes around, birthdays comearound. First thing I think of, well,
if I love my family member, ifI love my wife or I love my husband,

(05:12):
whatever that looks like foryou, I better make sure I prove it
by buying something. Butthat's a bold faced lie, because
love needs presence. Not thekind you put under the tree, not
the kind you Open. But yourpresence and I know that seems to
be a theme in this series.Right? We talked a lot about presence
over presence. And I'm goingto harp for a second again on social

(05:36):
media because social mediacontinues to fuel this comparison.
Here I go again. But everypost tells kids and yourself happiness
is bought, not built. It's alie. And what are we modeling? I'm
step on some toes right now.Our job is to model a different story
for our family, for ourchildren. Joy is found. That's why

(05:58):
I'm so happy. What thelistener said, she said, I believe
that Jesus is the reason forthe season. Well, joy is found in
Jesus, not in stuff. That'sthe problem. As a culture, we've
moved so far away from thetrue meaning of Christmas. It's not
about Jesus anymore. It'sabout how much can we pile underneath
the tree so everybody feelsgood. Oh, you feel loved because
you have a ton of presence.But have you demonstrated this to

(06:23):
your kids, that gratitude,that daily gratitude? Because here's
the thing, kids live what theylearn. And that gratitude that's
starting to demonstrate andmodel that gratitude breaks that
power of entitlement. And whenyou thank God for what you have,
that desire for more. Andlisten, I truly believe that is a
fleshly desire. You're goingto battle that. I think we all battle

(06:48):
that. But when you thank God,when you stop there and say, listen,
Lord, I'm thankful, I'mgrateful for what I have, that entitlement,
that feeling you need morebegins to lose its grip. What am
I really talking about here?I'm talking about surrender. And
surrender brings joy. It'sthat fight against culture. I'm going
to talk to you about my showTruth Unveiled with Ralph. One of

(07:09):
the big things I do on aweekly show, it's called Truth Unveil
with Ralph. You can get to itby going to truthunveilwithralph.com
is every week I talk about howto take culture and we're surrounded
by this noise of culture andhow to compare that with the biblical
truth of scripture. So I'mencourage you go check that out.
If you're not alreadylistening to it, you can sign up
for it Again, that's truthunveiled with Ralph.com. but when

(07:29):
we lay down those culturalexpectations, it's active work to
do this. You make room forlasting peace and that's the kind
of gift that you can't buy.Let's get to our Bible today. We've
got a verse here fromColossians, chapter 3, verse 5. And
it says this, put to death,therefore, whatever belongs to your

(07:50):
earthly nature, greed. Here wego. Which is idolatry. Right across
the bow there, my friends.Right, Put it to death, therefore,
whatever belongs to yourearthly nature. What's the Bible
alluding to here? Greed,earthly nature, flesh. But put that
to death. How about we praytogether, Lord, we hear in your word

(08:14):
to put to death, therefore,whatever belongs to your earthly
nature. Greed, Lord. And wejust ask that you would show us how
to do that. Help us to findwhere entitlement can take the place
of gratitude. Help us toreally lean into that, Lord. Help
us to find gratitude andseparate ourselves from that constant
entitlement. Help me to modelthis true contentment for my children,

(08:35):
for the world around me, forculture around me. Because, Lord,
we live in a world that'sobsessed with the more we hear it
from all directions. And Ijust want you to tell me, Lord, help
me to say no when it honorsyou, when guilt tries to tell us
otherwise, Lord, help us tofind our spiritual base in you. And
we ask this in the name ofJesus. Amen. Okay, this week, here's

(09:00):
your action item for today. Iwant you to sit down with your family
and make a gratitude overgifts list. Just three blessings.
Three blessings that moneycan't buy. Keep that and then see
it all of December. We'regetting ready to get into the holiday
season. This will help youremind yourself of what truly matters.

(09:21):
Just build that gratitude overgifts list. And if this message spoke
to your heart today, I'd lovefor you to join our new financially
confident Christian community.It's way more than just a way to
support the show. Sure, youcan do that there, but it's a space
where we can grow together,where we can share encouragement,
we can live out God's plan forfinancial freedom. And you can join
and learn more atfinanciallyconfidentchristian.com/join. I

(09:44):
just want to encourage youtoday. Help me and help others find
peace, find purpose, and findconfidence in christ. Again, that's
financiallyconfidentchristian.com/join. And
just remember this.Entitlement whispers, you need more.
But the answer is this.Gratitude answers. God, you've already
given me enough. When youtrade comparison for contentment,

(10:05):
guilt will lose its grip. Hearme on that. And peace takes its place.
Because freedom doesn't comefrom getting everything you want,
but from worshiping the onewho already gave you everything you
need. So today, go out thereand be a financially confident Christian.
You can do this. I haveconfidence in you. The Lord is with
you. Stay financially savvy.God bless you. And you have a great
day today.