Four Signs that You're Entitled in Your Faith

Our country is having a national discourse on entitlements: what are we entitled to by our government, and what should we have to pay for them? As much as we can rail against entitlements in our society, many Christians suffer from entitlement in their faith. Here are four signs that you suffer from the mission creep of entitlement:

1. You don’t feel the urge to grow in your faith or share it with others since you know you’re already going to heaven. Let’s be honest: if you’ve ever thought that sharing your faith is optional since you’re sure that your spot in heaven is already secured, then you suffer from the mission creep of entitlement.

2. You don’t see evidence of life change in those around you. If you haven’t seen any evidence of life change in the lives of those within your circle of influence, then the Holy Spirit is not using you as an agent of salt and light. That’s a sign of laziness and entitlement.

3. You think the church exists primarily to cater to the preferences of those already going to heaven. If you come to church with an innately selfish motive, assuming that the programs are there simply for your enrichment and the staff are there to cater to your needs, then you have an inherently self-centered view of the true meaning of the church.

4. Your talk about the Christian life far outweighs your actions. If you’re like the chronically unemployed deadbeat who always has a good excuse why the world is out to get him, then you suffer from entitlement and laziness. If your talk about the Christian faith far outweighs any tangible action on behalf of the Kingdom, then you need to check your priorities.

Wednesday we’ll discuss four ways to combat the mission creep of entitlement.

QUESTION: What are other signs of the mission creep of entitlement?