A Sense of Entitlement

For about the last year, a man has stopped by the church building on many occasions during the week while I've been here working. He's also attended a few of our services. I hesitate to call him homeless, because I think he usually stays in a hotel or with a friend, but clearly, he's very poor. He rides a bike around town and is always in need of some kind of help. 

We do not believe in using the church's common fund to help non-Christians; we believe that the church is only authorized to aid needy saints (Acts 11:28-30; Romans 15:26-27; 1 Cor. 16:1-2; 2 Cor. 8-9). Having said that, we do believe in helping folks...as individuals...and we have helped this particular man on many occasions. We've bought him shoes and fed him. Certain individuals have even dished out hundreds of dollars to pay for a hotel room for this man and his family...more than once. We've given him rides and have always offered him spiritual counsel along the way.

Despite all that we've done for this guy, he gets angry if we don't help him. He's stormed off a time or two for this very reason. I talked to him just a while ago and he promised that he'd be coming to church more often, but then when I told him I couldn't help him with a hotel room or give him any money, he was visibly upset and walked away. Thankfully, there hasn't been a serious altercation.

I say this, not because I want to tear this guy down (we've talked to him many times about these very things), but because I think many Christians can act the same way toward the church. It's an attitude of entitlement. They'll come to services so long as the sermons are good enough and folks pay attention to them, but if they stop "getting" what they feel entitled to, they begin to complain...or perhaps even leave the church altogether.

Obviously, we ought to be getting something from the church. In fact, if the church is what it OUGHT to be, everyone ought to be getting a LOT from the assemblies, classes and fellowship (Eph. 4:16).

It's not that we shouldn't expect anything from the church. It's about attitude and perspective.

I just read this in Philippians 2 today...

"Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others" (Philippians 2:1-4).

Are you a giver or a taker? What best defines you? That's the real issue.

If I were to fall on hard times, I would expect my brethren to come to my aid. But would I demand it? Would I pressure them into it? Would I complain about those who didn't? Would I threaten to leave the church if they didn't meet my demands in a timely manner? Hopefully not.

Let's avoid a sense of entitlement and focus on being givers.