Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Spoiled Brat

Have you ever seen the train wreck of a show called My Super Sixteen? If I am ever channel flipping and come across this show, I have to stop and stare. This is the one show that makes me feel better about my parenting skills and watching it makes me thankful that I am not wealthy. The show follows filthy rich parents who are giving their 16 year old children a ridiculously expensive birthday party. In addition to the party, the teen usually receives an equally expensive new car. At the end of the show, you see the total amount that the parents spent on the party. Usually, the party and car cost somewhere around $200,000. Whenever, I see the total cost I can’t help but think how many foreign missionaries that money would have supported.

In one particular episode, the mother gives her teen a brand new Lexus (cost $67,000) the day BEFORE her 15th (not 16th) birthday party. The word BEFORE is very important. According to the daughter, this act ruined her life. She wanted to receive the car during the party. How could her mother love her and do such a terribly mean thing to her?

Another clip on YouTube shows a girl having a complete melt down when she receives her brand new Saab convertible. She wanted a blue convertible but she received a red one. Now she is stuck with a car that does not coordinate with her wardrobe. How could her father be so uncaring?
As I see these clips, I am shocked. How could anyone be so spoiled? How could these teens be so inconsiderate and thankless? The parents gave the girls everything they wanted. Just because it did not come EXACTLY like they wanted, they threw a fit.

As I started reading through the book of Ephesians on Sunday, I came to the shocking realization that I am not much different from the teens. As I read through Ephesians 1:3, I realize how spoiled I am.

Ephesians 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.

God has given me EVERY spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. I have it all. But some days, it does not come EXACTLY as I want it. I want a blue car instead of red. I want the timing of things to be different. Some days, I can throw a pretty good fit.

A good cure for a spoiled attitude is to look at the entire chapter of Ephesians 1. Ephesians 1 is an interesting chapter. After the greeting, the entire chapter was originally made up of only two very long sentences. Modern translations have added addition punctuation. Verse 3-verse 14 is a long sentence composed of Paul’s praise and verse 15-23 is composed of Paul’s praise and prayer. When you read this chapter as two long sentences you come to realize how full Paul was with joy and excitement. He had to praise and pray- no time to stop for periods, commas or capital letters. It is hard for me to imagine these wonderful praises were coming from the mind of a man locked in prison.

Have you been acting like a spoiled brat lately? Please join with me in praying that when the “it’s all about me” attitude creeps in, we turn our eyes from ourselves to our creator in praise and prayer.

1 comment:

Tricia said...

Hey Kelly
What a great post! Often times it seems that my hardest and toughest days are those days when I have my eyes on myself rather than my Father in Heaven... if I am focused on Him all my petty little problems do not bother me near as much.

Thanks for the reminder that it is not all about me...

Blessings!