Entitlement - Ann

Instant gratification, this is what our culture preaches, having everything handed to you, the easy life, no pain, no suffering, telling us we "deserve" to always feel good. Telling us it is okay if if feels good. Oh, how it is easy to get caught up in this way of  thinking that we are" entitled:" to all things good. I know I get off track thinking that life should be easy, I feel entitled to be able to sleep in , I feel I deserve to have a treat before I go to bed every night. I deserve to always be happy, I deserve to have nice things. After reading this chapter I am reminded of how selfish these thoughts and the entitled way of life is! It's not all about Me me Me!

As Mary points out "A girl gone wise knows that the highest pleasure exists in denying self and willingly bearing the cross of Christ. She forfeits earthly gratification for the eternal joy that God has set before her. She sacrifices lesser joys for infinitely greater ones. She knows and accepts that on this side of heaven Christian discipleship is a costly, uncomfortable painful and even bloody business."

Dying to oneself and denying what I want and making sacrifices, thinking about what God wants. 

Mary talks about those who have been persecuted for  their faith, beaten, tortured, and martyred. How amazingly strong their faith was! It makes me stop and think about how easy I have it, and perhaps how weak I am. Could I, would I be willing to die for  my faith?  Wow! I would hope so, but I also hope I would not have to face the circumstances.

When Mary talked about self indulgence two areas in my life came to mind right away that I need to continue to work on , and they are sleep and sweets.  This sounds kinda dumb butI could sleep all of the time, the morning is the hardest for me, so I set my alarm early, and push the snooze button, and snooze, oh how I dislike getting out of bed in the morning! It has caused my morning prayer time to lessen as I indulge in sleep........then, when I am going to bed I have a bad habit of indulging in sweets in bed most nights. I tell myself I deserve a treat. I do not think it is a horrible thing, but an indulgence that i do not need every night. Of course I have other areas, but these two plague me daily and I know that by denying myself these indulgences, and making little sacrifices would be a good thing!

Jesus said "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" Luke 9:23 Yes, we all have big and little crosses everyday that we carry, but if we can embrace them and carry them without complaint for the greater glory of God, knowing that with his help we can get through anything and that all things are possible, what a better world it would be!

Jesus, help us to carry our crosses daily, may we become small, so that you may become big in us. May we seek you so that the true joy that you give, which is "sweeter than all pleasure" can take the place of all lesser and empty pleasures. Amen!