{"id":1348,"date":"2022-12-01T14:59:44","date_gmt":"2022-12-01T14:59:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/clientsdemoarea.com\/projects\/riot\/?p=1348"},"modified":"2026-06-25T06:18:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T06:18:00","slug":"are-you-entitled-and-dont-know-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/riotpodcast.co\/beta\/are-you-entitled-and-dont-know-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Are you Entitled and don\u2019t know it?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you entitled and don\u2019t know it<\/strong><\/span> is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Imagine if many of your friends were recently invited on an all-expenses-paid international trip. It is great for them \u2014 but you were left out.<\/p>\n

Of course, your first reaction might be not to rejoice for their good fortune, or delight that they got to enjoy an incredible experience. Initially, your heart might be jealous, hurt, and stinging under a sense of entitlement. You wonder why they were chosen and not you, it\u2019s not like you don\u2019t all know the same people. In fact, you reason in your mind that you do more than they do for God’s kingdom, and if anyone deserved to go it was you.<\/p>\n

Before you know it, you realize that you might have an attitude of entitlement. Many times, throughout our lifetime, we have moments when we think we deserve more than we actually do, and when we don\u2019t get it, our entitlement siren starts blaring. Watch out because when it does, we often act irrationally \u2014 in a way that looks foolish and maybe even childish from the outside.<\/p>\n

Read James 4:1-12<\/strong>
\nOn the show today, we want to talk about how to recognize our own sense of entitlement,<\/strong> and what steps we can take to surrender it to God. First, we need to understand what entitlement truly is.<\/p>\n

Entitlement<\/strong> is the belief that we inherently deserve privileges or special treatment, or that we have the right to something. Entitlement shows no partiality; it will reach for life\u2019s greatest gifts and claim its smallest pleasures. When it comes to the big parts of life, we can find ourselves thinking along these lines:<\/p>\n

\u201cI deserve to have children, so why am I struggling with infertility? After all, aren\u2019t children a blessing from God?\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2019m tired of being single. I\u2019ve remained pure and sought Christ, so why hasn\u2019t he brought a spouse into my life?\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2019m such a hard worker. I don\u2019t understand why I still can\u2019t manage to find a high-paying job.\u201d<\/p>\n

But entitlement can also touch smaller issues:<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a good homemaker and work hard to keep the house clean and tidy. I deserve to have a nicer, bigger home.\u201d
\n\u201cI work so hard to provide for my family. I deserve to watch TV when I come home.\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2019ve been good with my finances. I deserve to buy what I want for a change.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul wrote, \u201cNot that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am\u201d (Philippians 4:11).<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe \u2018entitlement mentality is dangerous because it is a threat to contentment.\u201d -Andy Sochor<\/strong>
\n\u201cAs long as our hearts have the entitlement mentality, personal growth in our relationship with God and with others will cease.\u201d -Ray Kim<\/strong><\/p>\n

What Are We Entitled To?<\/strong>
\nThere is no question that a sense of entitlement dominates many cultures around the world. If you think about it, it has been that way from the beginning, right back to the Garden of Eden. The issue of Entitlement has been cited by many as one of the major problems in the world, especially in America. \u201cThe growing entitlement mentality in America is completely toxic, slowly eating away at our spirits like acid\u201d (David Ramsey).<\/p>\n

To help us understand entitlement better, we must think of it as a foundation of our sinful nature. And, as you do, look at it in the context of personal relationships, particularly in marriage. If you are single, think about it from the perspective of expectations in a relationship, now and in the future.<\/p>\n

Russell B. Lemle, Ph.D., is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Dept of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco. He gives five reasons why we fall into entitlement:<\/p>\n

You are owed because of your sacrifice or generosity in the relationship. \u201cI gave up my career to raise our children. You can at least let me redecorate the living room.\u201d<\/p>\n

You are owed because you are feeling so emotional\u2014so stressed, etc.\u2014that your spouse must support what you want. \u201cSince I work longer hours, you should pick up the kids from soccer practice.\u201d \u201cListen, I\u2019ve been home all-day cooking and cleaning, you go, I went last time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Entitlement<\/strong> seems so legitimate when we feel strongly about something. \u201cHaving my own quiet time in the evening is vital to me; I don\u2019t understand why you can\u2019t go along with this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gender, as entitlement, has often been used as a way to get what we want, but it is not very effective. \u201cLook, as head of the household, you should listen to me about ___________ (fill in the blank).\u201d \u201cI am the mother of these children; I know what is best for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you are the primary breadwinner, money can be used. \u201cI\u2019ve earned the right to have time to play golf.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s my money, and I will spend it, however, I want to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s face it, we likely have unknowingly inherited a lot of ideas about entitlement from our parents (and our kids are learning from us). From their influence, without thinking, we may insist that our way is the \u201cright\u201d way to do things, especially if we believe it is the most efficient. <\/p>\n

Many times, a spouse falls into entitlement when what they want is seen as a real \u201cneed.\u201d So much of the popular literature on relationships is about fulfilling each other\u2019s needs. When we see the need as an entitlement, we are more guided by self-interest, rather than other-centeredness and love. Believing that we have a real need creates a strong sense of entitlement.<\/p>\n

What do we deserve? We deserve nothing! But a true believer has been given everything! That\u2019s amazingly good news! \u201cHe who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with Him graciously give us all things (emphasis mine)?\u201d (Romans 8:32).<\/strong> That\u2019s grace, and it is \u201cunmerited favor.\u201d It is something we didn’t earn; it is the gift of God. God’s grace, His unmerited favor, is simply God giving you something you don’t deserve.<\/p>\n

At the same time resist the common practice of comparing your situation to others. To help in that process, think about our Lord and Savior and how He took all that He had as a right and set it aside. \u201cHave this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to grasp, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross\u201d (Phil, 2:5-8).<\/strong><\/p>\n

As Christians, we should not only trust God when we don\u2019t get what we want. We should also follow the example of our Savior and choose to give up what we think we deserve. The reward might not be immediate, but we\u2019ll become more like Christ, and that is always worth it.<\/p>\n

Humility and the willingness to give up our rights are not prized virtues in our world, but they are stunningly beautiful to Christ.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Are you entitled and don\u2019t know it is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. Imagine if many of your friends were recently invited on an all-expenses-paid international trip. It is great for them \u2014 but you were left out. Of course, your first reaction might be not […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1330,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[58],"tags":[60,8,15,14,67,16,6,3,12,9,10,17,11,4,7,13,5,18,61],"class_list":["post-1348","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-christian-podcast","tag-apple-podcast","tag-best-christian-podcast","tag-christian-android-podcast","tag-christian-apple-podcast","tag-christian-discipleship-podcast","tag-christian-leadership-podcast","tag-christian-living","tag-christian-podcast","tag-christian-podcast-about-marriage","tag-christian-podcast-for-men","tag-christian-podcast-for-women","tag-christian-podcast-on-pandora","tag-christian-podcast-on-spotify","tag-contentment","tag-encouragement","tag-funny-christian-podcast","tag-righteous-invasion-of-truth","tag-riot-podcast","tag-the-riot-podcast"],"acf":{"photo":"","about_podcast":"Are you entitled and don\u2019t know it<\/strong><\/span> is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast.<\/strong><\/span>
\r\n
\r\nImagine if many of your friends were recently invited on an all-expenses-paid international trip. It is great for them \u2014 but you were left out.
\r\n
\r\nOf course, your first reaction might be not to rejoice for their good fortune, or delight that they got to enjoy an incredible experience. Initially, your heart might be jealous, hurt, and stinging under a sense of entitlement. You wonder why they were chosen and not you, it\u2019s not like you don\u2019t all know the same people. In fact, you reason in your mind that you do more than they do for God's kingdom, and if anyone deserved to go it was you.
\r\n
\r\nBefore you know it, you realize that you might have an attitude of entitlement. Many times, throughout our lifetime, we have moments when we think we deserve more than we actually do, and when we don\u2019t get it, our entitlement siren starts blaring. Watch out because when it does, we often act irrationally \u2014 in a way that looks foolish and maybe even childish from the outside.
\r\n
\r\nRead James 4:1-12<\/strong>
\r\nOn the show today, we want to talk about how to recognize our own sense of entitlement,<\/strong> and what steps we can take to surrender it to God. First, we need to understand what entitlement truly is.
\r\n
\r\nEntitlement<\/strong> is the belief that we inherently deserve privileges or special treatment, or that we have the right to something. Entitlement shows no partiality; it will reach for life\u2019s greatest gifts and claim its smallest pleasures. When it comes to the big parts of life, we can find ourselves thinking along these lines:
\r\n
\r\n\u201cI deserve to have children, so why am I struggling with infertility? After all, aren\u2019t children a blessing from God?\u201d
\r\n\u201cI\u2019m tired of being single. I\u2019ve remained pure and sought Christ, so why hasn\u2019t he brought a spouse into my life?\u201d
\r\n\u201cI\u2019m such a hard worker. I don\u2019t understand why I still can\u2019t manage to find a high-paying job.\u201d
\r\n
\r\nBut entitlement can also touch smaller issues:
\r\n
\r\n\u201cI\u2019m a good homemaker and work hard to keep the house clean and tidy. I deserve to have a nicer, bigger home.\u201d
\r\n\u201cI work so hard to provide for my family. I deserve to watch TV when I come home.\u201d
\r\n\u201cI\u2019ve been good with my finances. I deserve to buy what I want for a change.\u201d
\r\n
\r\nPaul wrote, \u201cNot that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am\u201d (Philippians 4:11).<\/strong>
\r\n
\r\n\u201cThe \u2018entitlement mentality is dangerous because it is a threat to contentment.\u201d -Andy Sochor<\/strong>
\r\n\u201cAs long as our hearts have the entitlement mentality, personal growth in our relationship with God and with others will cease.\u201d -Ray Kim<\/strong>
\r\n
\r\nWhat Are We Entitled To?<\/strong>
\r\nThere is no question that a sense of entitlement dominates many cultures around the world. If you think about it, it has been that way from the beginning, right back to the Garden of Eden. The issue of Entitlement has been cited by many as one of the major problems in the world, especially in America. \u201cThe growing entitlement mentality in America is completely toxic, slowly eating away at our spirits like acid\u201d (David Ramsey).
\r\n
\r\nTo help us understand entitlement better, we must think of it as a foundation of our sinful nature. And, as you do, look at it in the context of personal relationships, particularly in marriage. If you are single, think about it from the perspective of expectations in a relationship, now and in the future.
\r\n
\r\nRussell B. Lemle, Ph.D., is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Dept of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco. He gives five reasons why we fall into entitlement:
\r\n
\r\nYou are owed because of your sacrifice or generosity in the relationship. \u201cI gave up my career to raise our children. You can at least let me redecorate the living room.\u201d
\r\n
\r\nYou are owed because you are feeling so emotional\u2014so stressed, etc.\u2014that your spouse must support what you want. \u201cSince I work longer hours, you should pick up the kids from soccer practice.\u201d \u201cListen, I\u2019ve been home all-day cooking and cleaning, you go, I went last time.\u201d
\r\n
\r\nEntitlement<\/strong> seems so legitimate when we feel strongly about something. \u201cHaving my own quiet time in the evening is vital to me; I don\u2019t understand why you can\u2019t go along with this.\u201d
\r\n
\r\nGender, as entitlement, has often been used as a way to get what we want, but it is not very effective. \u201cLook, as head of the household, you should listen to me about ___________ (fill in the blank).\u201d \u201cI am the mother of these children; I know what is best for them.\u201d
\r\n
\r\nIf you are the primary breadwinner, money can be used. \u201cI\u2019ve earned the right to have time to play golf.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s my money, and I will spend it, however, I want to.\u201d
\r\n
\r\nLet\u2019s face it, we likely have unknowingly inherited a lot of ideas about entitlement from our parents (and our kids are learning from us). From their influence, without thinking, we may insist that our way is the \u201cright\u201d way to do things, especially if we believe it is the most efficient.
\r\n
\r\nMany times, a spouse falls into entitlement when what they want is seen as a real \u201cneed.\u201d So much of the popular literature on relationships is about fulfilling each other\u2019s needs. When we see the need as an entitlement, we are more guided by self-interest, rather than other-centeredness and love. Believing that we have a real need creates a strong sense of entitlement.
\r\n
\r\nWhat do we deserve? We deserve nothing! But a true believer has been given everything! That\u2019s amazingly good news! \u201cHe who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with Him graciously give us all things (emphasis mine)?\u201d (Romans 8:32).<\/strong> That\u2019s grace, and it is \u201cunmerited favor.\u201d It is something we didn't earn; it is the gift of God. God's grace, His unmerited favor, is simply God giving you something you don't deserve.
\r\n
\r\nAt the same time resist the common practice of comparing your situation to others. To help in that process, think about our Lord and Savior and how He took all that He had as a right and set it aside. \u201cHave this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to grasp, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross\u201d (Phil, 2:5-8).<\/strong>
\r\n
\r\nAs Christians, we should not only trust God when we don\u2019t get what we want. We should also follow the example of our Savior and choose to give up what we think we deserve. The reward might not be immediate, but we\u2019ll become more like Christ, and that is always worth it.
\r\n
\r\nHumility and the willingness to give up our rights are not prized virtues in our world, but they are stunningly beautiful to Christ.","content":"

Thanks for listening and don't forget to:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

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Subscribe to our Newsletter<\/a> for your FREE T-shirt Today!<\/a><\/p>\r\n

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The RIOT PODCAST is a listener-supported podcast: Donate Now<\/a><\/p>
\r\n

Subscribe to our Newsletter<\/a> for your FREE T-shirt<\/p>","audio":"[powerpress]"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/riotpodcast.co\/beta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1348","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/riotpodcast.co\/beta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/riotpodcast.co\/beta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/riotpodcast.co\/beta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/riotpodcast.co\/beta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1348"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/riotpodcast.co\/beta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1348\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3161,"href":"https:\/\/riotpodcast.co\/beta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1348\/revisions\/3161"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/riotpodcast.co\/beta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1330"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/riotpodcast.co\/beta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1348"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/riotpodcast.co\/beta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1348"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/riotpodcast.co\/beta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1348"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}