An Entitled Generation

I heard a statistic today on the radio that said they asked a group of millennials "If all of your college debt would be paid off, would you give up your right to vote?" Over half said yes...... Then they asked "if you could have all of your college debt paid off, would you give up texting?" Only 10% said yes. This shows how backwards our priorities are in this rising generation. It makes me wonder why? Why is this next generation so short sighted, why can't they see past themselves, why can't they see the big picture, why is texting more important than debt and why is debt more important than their RIGHT to vote? BACKWARDS!!!!

Romans 5:3 (AMP) says

"And not only this, but [with joy] let us exult in our sufferings and rejoice in our hardships, knowing that hardship (distress, pressure, trouble) produces patient endurance; 4 and endurance, proven character (spiritual maturity); and proven character, hope and confident assurance [of eternal salvation]."

This scripture is what we are missing people! This next generation has NO idea what it means to rejoice in sufferings and push through during the tough times. They distract themselves and ignore their problems instead of facing them head on. When a problem arises they immerse themselves in another world of instant gratification and digital distraction. They don't push harder, work harder and let it develop character, and endurance. They find a way to get what they want and take the easy way out. And move on with a "one day my ship will come in mentality"

So here is my plea to you, teach your children this! Teach them that if they want to attain great things, they will need to go through great obstacles. Teach them that in life they have to be patient. Teach them that they have to work for what they want. Teach them that life is a slow cooking roast that seems to take decades of hard work and dedication, and not a microwave dinner. Teach them how much better and more rewarding it is when they can wait and not quit and get better and rise up over the obstacles of life to attain what they want!

I see a generation of moms that want instant gratification themselves and can't see past the moment of their decisions. They can't see past the "right now" enough to understand that every time they give in to their child and give them their instant gratification, they are teaching them that's how life is. With a world full of drive-through's and instant answers and instant gratification how can we teach our children that life is not like that.

We teach our children that by making them wait, by saying "no you cannot have that right now, you have to work for it and earn it". We teach them by saying "if you don't stop throwing that fit right now, then I am going to walk out of this birthday party right now". We can stop the cycle of entitlement by teaching them in those moments. When all they can do is whine and cry for what they want, we have to stop what we are doing and look at them and teach them. We have to use those moments to teach them about life, We have to keep the big picture in mind that although maybe that piece of candy is going to make them stop crying right now, it will teach them nothing if we give in.

I think this generation of parents have to be even more sensitive than the generation before us to instant gratification and to raising up an entitled generation, because we are constantly getting things at the click of a button. Twenty years from now I can imagine a world of 20-year-olds that are going nowhere in life and are continuing to whine about it because they don't understand that they actually will not get what they want when they want; and that it doesn't matter how much they cry or beg.

Lets stop the cycle parents! Lets instill in our kids a sense of perseverance and a strong spirit that can overcome obstacles. When they loose, lets encourage them to get better, when they fail, lets encourage them to get back up and try again, when they want a toy, lets teach them how to earn that toy and save money to buy it. Let's raise up a group of warriors that know the Word of God, and know how to push through to get to the prize!

right now that's going to be very rare.