Entitled or Thankful?

This is Pastor Ron Glass of the Wading River Baptist Church in Wading River, Long Island, NY—your pastor for the day.
In a recent column in the Washington Post, commentator George Will discussed the federal government’s decision to give all Social Security recipients (and some other citizens as well) a $250 cost of living adjustment in spite of the fact there was no cost of living increase. Will says that this decision is “the capstone to the architecture of the entitlement culture that is modern liberalism's crowning achievement: It is an entitlement to which you are entitled even when you are not entitled to it.” In a nation drowning in debt, how could we come to this point? The real answer is simply fear. Our retirees (who, by the way, vote faithfully), are afraid of the economic future, and since the virtue of families taking care of each other has disappeared to a large extent in modern America, our elderly have nowhere to look for support but to the government.
Here, then, is the mindset of modern Americans, young and old alike. Government is the bank account of last resort. We have come to a point where we assume that a comfortable retirement is a right. So, too, are education, health care, unemployment benefits, and a variety of other services—“rights” of which our Founding Fathers never dreamed. If you can’t provide it for yourself, and if no one else will provide it for you, then it is the government’s responsibility to give it to you. That’s an entitlement.
We Christians should have a problem with this. Nowhere in the Scriptures are we accorded any entitlements—with the exception of one, and that is eternal hell. But of course, through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ (and grace is undeserved kindness) we have been delivered from eternal condemnation. In addition, we have been given the authority (or right) to be called the sons of God (Jn 1:12). Everything else, however, is ours by grace. We are promised our daily needs. Paul writes, “My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:19). The Lord Jesus himself told us: “Do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself” (Mt 6:34). In fact, if we seek first the things that concern the Lord and His righteousness as a way of life, then all the other things will be added to us (v. 33).
That truth leads Paul to lay down this most important principle: “Be anxious for nothing [that means, don’t worry about anything], but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:6-7). So as Christians, we are entitled to bring our requests to the Lord with the assurance that He will meet our needs and give us peace over the worry which so easily afflicts us.
But note the necessary accompaniment to our prayers . . . thanksgiving. All of our praying for the things we need to live in the world is to be linked to the expression of our thankfulness to God. When we look back and review how the Lord has provided for us, we should be profoundly grateful, and that gratitude motivates us to pray for present and future needs as well. So here’s the challenge. We live in a culture where the government is regarded as the supplier of last resort, and where people see themselves as entitled to a share of its largesse. The very concept of entitlements makes us self-centered, taking our eyes off of the God who promises to meet our needs and taking away the incentive both for prayer and for thanksgiving. Entitlements presuppose pride and fear; thankfulness presupposes faith.
In this Thanksgiving season, therefore, let’s not put our faith in government entitlement programs. Trust the Lord. If you’re in Christ, then He has promised to meet your need. Thank Him for what He has done for you in the past, and have faith that He will provide for you in the future. And have a blessed Thanksgiving season!
This has been Pastor Ron Glass of the Wading River Baptist Church in Wading River, Long Island, New York, your Pastor for the Day. Visit us on the web at www.wrbc.us.