Have you been watching the drama unfold with the ‘big three” auto makers? Did you see as they were on Capitol Hill asking for $25 billion in bail-out money? I can’t imagine the shock that those auto industry presidents must have felt when the committee member told them that Washington doesn’t have free money lying around to give away. You see, the senators on the committee hearing the request for money were all aware that these men had each come to ask for a handout, and they traveled in their own private jets! How can you ask for anyone to give you anything, when you feel you are due all the perks in life? How can you not see a private jet as being the kind of luxury that has caused the auto industry to be in the mess that they are in to start with? Talk about having an unrealistic sense of others owing you something, while you aren’t responsible for your own mess.

      Mitt Romney was asked recently about this and he commented how the auto industry needs to get a reality check. They need to get back to reality on the real cost of making a vehicle, and the real cost of selling a vehicle in today’s world.  I think this whole issue speaks volumes about us as Americans. And as believers in Jesus.

      As Americans we have bought into the idea that the world owes us something. It’s our right. We have a huge issue in this country with entitlement – I got a college degree, so I deserve a good job – who said so? McDonalds told us years ago, “You deserve a break today…” – who said so?  We see people all around us who feel that society owes them everything they want, and they deserve to have it. And the question comes, who said so?

      As a believer, do you and I have a right to anything? To feel entitled to anything? If we feel this way, then we need to examine our hearts.  We may have rights as Americans, but we can not confuse that cultural privilege as a citizen of this country with what you deserve from God. As believers and followers of Jesus we need to see that everything that comes our way is a blessing of God, and not a right. Scripture tells us that every good thing in our lives comes from God above. Not because we are good or deserving, but because God loves to give good gifts to His children. God gave us his son, not because we deserved it, but because he knew we needed the grace and mercy we would find in Jesus.

     May we approach Christmas with a heart of gratitude and thanksgiving to God, who always gives us what we need and never gives us what we deserve.