Entitlement at Christmas... YUK! Guest Blogger: Alison

My favorite thing about Christmas is the spirit of giving that is in
the air. People's generosity never ceases to amaze me every year, and
especially this year when I know most people have a tighter budget
than usual yet they still donate their time and money to those less
fortunate. It truly is a beautiful thing.

I love to help people in need, so I'm a sucker for pretty much every
charity fundraiser that a coworker or friend asks me to donate to.
Giving is so much more rewarding than receiving, and nothing makes me
happier than to see the look of gratitude on someone's face when
you're able to help them out in their time of need.

My least favorite thing about Christmas is when those less fortunate
EXPECT to be taken care of. It's definitely a struggle for me because
I really want to help everyone, and I can clearly see that this person
could use some help. But when someone approaches me asking when I'm
going to get around to helping them, I start to resent being
generous. Yes, this person might be in a tough situation, but their
expectation of receiving a generous donation is not right.

This event reminded me of the passage in Daniel where Nebuchadnezzar
was going to throw three men into a blazing furnace for refusing to
worship his gods.

Daniel 3:17-18
"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able
to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But
even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not
serve your gods."

God is capable of rescuing us from any tough situation we are in, but
He doesn't have to and we shouldn't expect Him to. When we start
having expectations of what we think we deserve and what God should be
providing for us, it's like we are undermining God's work. God is a
generous father and He wants to give us everything our hearts desire.
But the moment we start expecting his generosity is the moment He
turns his back to our plight.

God, I am so thankful for all of the blessings you have provided to
me. There are times when I feel like I'm not being recognized for my
achievements, that I'm not getting what I deserve, and I thank you for
helping me discern when my expectations of you begin to undermine your
plan for me.