Author: Susan Panzica

I love the Book of Acts, full of drama, history, theology. In Chapter 17, one of my favorite chapters, Paul delivers a powerful message in Athens.

Paul fled to Athens because the Thessalonian rabble-rousers started to agitate the Bereans. Silas and Timothy stayed behind in Berea until Paul’s other travelmates came back for them.

While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. Acts 17:16-17

And there it was:

While Paul was waiting…. The 4 little words screamed for my attention.

How many times had I read the inspired sermon that follows these verses and missed the fact that Paul was alone as he wandered around the city, waiting for his fellow workers to join him to begin ministry in this new locale.

“God’s Waiting Room.” I’ve heard the term, even said the term myself. It’s that period of time spent waiting for our life to begin anew.

• “When this happens, then I will…”
• “When I get a job, get married, have a baby, then I will …”
• “When the chemo is over, then I will…”
• “When I discover my gifts, then I will…”

Just today, I said, “When my husband and I retire, we’ll …”

Years ago, I heard Elisabeth Elliot share, “We should wait on the Lord the way a waiter waits on tables.” Hmmm…. How does a waiter wait? Serving. How may I help you? What can I do for you?

That’s what Paul did. “Paul was waiting . . .  So he …” He was distressed with what he saw (idols everywhere) and “so he reasoned with” whoever was around. He didn’t lament that his companions weren’t with him. He didn’t wait until his team was in place. He saw and he served right where he was.

In my husband’s chiropractic office, we have what some call a “waiting room.” We don’t; we call it a “Reception Area.” There’s a tv monitor that streams facts about our amazing bodies. The reading materials are about health or about the Lord. Our intention in that room is that while the patients are waiting, they are being prepared to meet the doctor or meet their Maker (not in the fatal sense of the phrase!)

The “waiting room” can be a place of worry or anxiety, a place of uncertainty not knowing what the future holds. It can be a place of preparation for that future. Or like Paul, it can be a place to (cliché alert) “bloom where you’re planted.”

In the allegory book, Hinds Feet On High Places, the character Much-Afraid is on a journey to her Shepherd. At a lonely severe rugged spot, she meets a tiny flower nestled among the rocks. It’s name: Acceptance-With-Joy. The Shepherd later tells her, “When you wear the weed of impatience in your heart instead of the flower Acceptance-With-Joy, you will always find your enemies get an advantage over you.” Her enemies are our enemies: Resentment, Craven Fear, Bitterness, Pride.

A dear friend, Irene, spent most of her last year alone in her apartment, exhausted from the chemo she regularly received. I asked her about her time spent waiting. Her answer: “It was so difficult, but I got so close to the Lord during that time, I wouldn’t change it for anything.” Irene faithfully led our prayer ministry and filled the role of “prayer warrior” more than anyone I know, yet the Lord used that time of weakness and waiting to strengthen her in ways beyond her imagination.

But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired. (Is. 40:31 Amp V.)

Are you in “God’s Waiting Room?”

Do you wait as the Amplified Verse says – with expectation, looking for the Lord, hoping in Him? There lies the key to renewed strength and power, run and not being weary, walk and not becoming tired.

Dear Lord, I pray for those who are waiting. That they may sense Your indwelling power. That they will be strengthened to serve You right where they are. And that in the serving they would become more like You. 

Like so many others, this week I am reeling, feeling utter dismay and disgust over both a father’s letter to a judge and that judge’s lenient ruling for a young man convicted of a heinous crime. Both father and son showed complete indifference to the true victim in the scenario, excusing the son’s actions, blaming alcohol consumption instead of taking personal responsibility. The victim’s brilliant statement to the court appeared to be completely disregarded in the judge’s determination. In the aftermath, people are outraged. And rightly so. There’s a petition to have the judge removed. Good.

But that’s not what I want to address today.

This decision, despicable as it was, wasn’t determined in a day, or even in one court case. The father’s letter and the judge’s decision revealed a deep insidious decay in our culture today. It’s called “entitlement.”

The definition of “entitlement” is:

• the belief that one is inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment.

We see “entitlement” in all areas of life. Entitlement is a myopic worldview with an “all about me” mentality. Entitlement rips apart the fabric of civilized society. It’s more than just “looking out for #1.” A sense of entitlement is accompanied by emotions such as resentment, envy, anger, ingratitude, and disappointment. It leads to blaming others instead of taking responsibility for your own actions. It is as dangerous to the mind as rust is to metal or cancer is to the body.

In writing this, I don’t think that you, my dear reader, suffer from feelings of entitlement. But I think you see it around you, just like I do. My purpose in writing this is to point out that we have the power to counter the culture of entitlement. What we do or say can reduce or eliminate this poison in our families and friendships, our homes and workplaces, our churches and ministries.

If we each apply steps like these below, we can turn the tide on the sense of entitlement:

1. Focus on countering the entitlement culture:

• Seek out opportunities to be grateful. Be pro-active in searching for the blessings you already have.
• Make changes, not excuses. We’re not perfect. When we mess up, let’s be honest, seek forgiveness, and change the offending behavior. Don’t seek to blame someone else for our actions.
• Look for the heroes in tragedies. The victim in the story above keeps pictures of bicycles above her bed to remind her each night of the young men on bikes who rescued her. She is choosing to focus on the people of integrity in her life, rather than wallow in the mud-puddle of victimhood.
• Share stories that point out honorable actions, like this one.

2. Teach and be examples for the next generation.

• Limit expectations to reality. Don’t expect what you haven’t earned. (Except for the grace of God.)
• Develop an attitude of gratitude. Gratitude begins where entitlement ends.  “Envy is the art of counting the other fellow’s blessings instead of your own.” Harold Coffin
• Encourage excellence, but not competition at someone else’s expense. Take joy in other’s accomplishments.
• Teach your children well. Talk about entitlement, sexual consent, and make the discussion age appropriate.

3. Seek the Lord in prayer and His Word.

• Take it to the Lord in prayer . “If my people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will healtheir land.” 2 Chron. 7: 14
• The Bible is filled with examples of entitlement beginning with Adam and Eve who wanted to eat something they weren’t entitled to. Jesus’ disciples argued about who was the greatest and where they’d sit at His table. But Jesus provided the antidote to entitlement, saying that they must become like little children or like a servant.

Let’s remember. We have all sinned and aren’t entitled to anything except eternal damnation. By His grace, as believers, we receive something wonderful that we don’t deserve. Let’s be salt and light, doing everything in our power to draw those in our spheres of influence to counter the culture.

“ Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” Phil 2:3-7

Last week, as my daughter prepared for her Earth Day chapel presentation on creation, we talked about various aspects of creativity, including what stifles it. When I said, “comparison is the thief of creativity,” she replied, “Wow! I’m definitely putting that quote in my powerpoint!!”

The more I thought about it, the more I realized the deep damage that comparison does to us emotionally, spiritually, psychologically, and physically. It is indeed a thief of creativity, but it also robs us of so much more.

There’s always someone who is prettier, wealthier, more confident, seemingly having it all together, while all we see are the flaws in, on, and around us.

For years, I let the clutter and disarray in my house keep me from inviting friends over. Or it threw me into such a tidying frenzy that my family steered clear of the madwoman with the dustbuster. How did other moms open their House Beautiful doors with such grace and apparent ease?

They didn’t.

Their stress was just hidden from my view. Maybe it isn’t their housekeeping, but somewhere in some way, they are struggling with confidence, just like you and me.

Satan tempts us to think that others have it easier than we do. Or that they are better in some way. He wants to keep us isolated, feeling alone even in the midst of a crowd. Our minds travel down paths that God never intended, believing that no one else faces the challenges we do, or that they conquer those challenges with ease. It’s all a lie.

Outside of heaven, perfection doesn’t exist. <<click to tweet>>

Everyone has their own despair, drama, and unfulfilled dreams. But we don’t need to look for it in their lives to feel better about ourselves. We just need to be obedient to the One who knows it all and loves us anyway. If we’re doing the best we can, we can rest in that.

Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else. — Galatians 6:4

When a friend stopped by unexpectedly and saw the clutter I had always tried to hide, she let me know that it made her feel right at home! She preferred a “lived-in” house to a picture-perfect one. How often had I robbed myself of time with friends because of the way I or my house looked? How often had I robbed God by not participating in events or activities where He could have used me? All because I compared myself to others who were probably comparing themselves to me!

There is only one perfect standard to compare ourselves to, and this side of glory, we’ll never be perfect. But the more we keep our eyes on Jesus, the more we will start to resemble Him, and the more we will be satisfied with how and who He made us to be.

 “Usefulness is not impaired by imperfection. You can drink from a chipped cup.” – Greta K. Nagel

Last fall, the salesclerk asked a simple question – one I answered easily every year. But this time, I hesitated.

“Would you like to add on ‘Thanks for Sharing’?” Smile. Slight head tilt. Hand outstretched. Credit card please?

Every year at that time – for a $25 enrollment fee that goes to charity – Macy’s offers their customers an opportunity to earn 10% back on their purchases through the end of the year. Since I usually spend at least $250 at Macy’s during this time, it always made financial sense to enroll.

But because of my growing awareness of human trafficking, slave labor, injustice in the world, and poverty, my spending patterns have changed. I no longer spend as much money in Macys, but browse catalogs by World Vision, IJM, Fair Trade vendors, etc.

And so I stood there mute, not moving a muscle while my brain raced away.

As the clock ticked and the awkward silence grew, I knew I had to say something. So I said the truth – that this year the question is not as easy to answer as previous years because things have changed.

I chose to explain to the salesclerk why I was hesitating. I told her about  my organization, Justice Network, as well as others including Advent Conspiracy, Charity:Water, and how God is directing me to make my spending be intentional in both fighting poverty and injustice and building relationships with family and friends.

She stood there dumbfounded at first, but then she shared with me that her mother watches the 700 Club and often asks for prayer. “Isn’t that similar?” she asked. And then I was able to enter into a deep conversation with her. I ended up giving her my business card inviting her to read my blog. She asked about my church, and I was able to tell her about church and more importantly about God and what Christmas is really about for me and my family, and could be for her too.

I am, by nature, an introvert. My natural inclination would be just to say “No thank you” or “Sure sign me up” and leave it at that. But that night, God impressed upon me to speak up, and He gave me the words to share.

When I came home and told my daughter about the conversation, she said, “Way to go, Mom. That’s what Pastor Carl would call – occupying your street.” Her pastor, Carl Lenz of Hillsong NYC, took the Occupy Wall Street movement and applied the phrase to our Christian lives.

Her favorite quote among the many notes she took from his message, “Shock people with the dream in your heart, and impact them with your dedication to what’s in your hand.”

What was in my hand that day? My credit card.

Well I may not be dedicated to my credit card, but God used it just the same. I may never see that salesclerk again, but I will look for her on future visits to Macy’s.

And I decided to go ahead and purchase the $25 Thanks for Giving program. Whether it makes financial sense or not, the money goes to charity so it makes perfect sense.

“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. … And he called his servants… and said unto them, Occupy till I come.” Luke 19:10,13

How have you occupied your street?