Myth #4: You’re Entitled to Your Dreams
*The author shares that she was raised with the idea of dreaming big and believing she would accomplish all of those dreams. Were you raised with a similar mindset? Or if not, were you told this in school?
*What is the difference between work that honors men and work that honors God? Have you ever had a job that society tells us is not valuable, important, or “glamorous,” but was the work of God? How did society tell you to feel when doing that work? How did you feel when doing that work?
*This chapter speaks to a few different myths within this broader myth of being entitled to our dreams. She discusses the idea that we will accomplish our goals on our own terms without any real work on our part and also the idea that we’re only obligated to do the work that brings us joy. Why is this unbiblical and untrue?
Scripture of the Week
Colossians 3:23
Genesis 2:15
2 Thessalonians 3:11-12
Prayer of the Week
Father God, help us to honor You in our work. Would you help us to view our work as a way to honor You, not to glorify ourselves? If we are in work that society deems not important, please help us to know that it doesn’t matter what they think. We only wish to honor You and be successful in Your eyes. Please give us encouragement during times when work seems unfruitful. Help us to know that work matters and is necessary. If we find our identity in work, help us to remember that our identity is in You and we don’t have to make work our entire life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
For Next Week
*Read Myth #5 and the Conclusion
Being entitled is very prevalent right now. I think this is a trait the Millennial generation has, but from reading this week’s chapter, it’s really something that many, if not all of us struggle with.
I grew up with what I believe was a healthy sense of empowerment in accomplishing my dreams. I was told I could do anything and if I worked hard enough and did the “right” things, my dreams could be attained. The problem is, this isn’t how life necessarily works. You can work hard and do the “right” stuff and still struggle. Life is a struggle, in some way or another, but this type of thinking – that we can do what we want and deserve to get what we want – is a real issue.
If we limit ourselves to thinking 1) we deserve to get what we want, 2) we don’t have to work that hard for it, or only work on our terms, and 3) we should only work for things that bring us joy or make us happy, we are really going to struggle because we are not going to be satisfied. Think about it: our dreams change as we grow. We think we know what we want, then we grow up or change our minds. We are so fickle and life brings so many different seasons that it’s hard to pinpoint our dreams and desires at any given time.
Also, when we realize one dream doesn’t come true, it can be discouraging. But we move onto the next dream and hope that works out. With this type of thinking, we always will be grasping for more or something different.
This mentality is untrue and unbiblical because entitlement is focused on loving the self. Christianity focuses on first loving God and secondly loving others. We must deny, rather than serve ourselves, and by believing we deserve our dreams, we wrongly become the focus.
Christ is the only One who can completely satisfy. It’s hard to know this a lot of the time, but we can trust Him with our lives because He created us, has plans for us, and has our best interests in mind – it’s all for our good and His glory. ☺️