Grace vs. Entitlement

It's been a few days since, I posted but that has not stopped my dreams.

Some of our dreams make no sense at all but once in a while you get an "AAHAA" moment as you awake out of sleep.  As my mind wondered during sleep, I recall one dream that stands out and that I shared with one gentlman in our church.

I was working at my office and a high school person came in and said that I had to give them a job.   When I asked them to fill out an application, they said they did not have to because I owed them a job because I owned a business and had work that needed to be completed.  Instead of dismissing the person immediately, I said, "Why do I owe you a job?"  The person said that it was their right to have a good paying job and that I had to give it to them.

I said I will hire you for one day only and see how things worked out.  Within ten minutes of them going on the clock, I took a look and saw them sitting on a stool.  I said,"Why are you not working?"  Their response took me by surprise.  "I clocked in and thought it was time for a break."

As I told the person to clock out immediately, they seemed puzzled and said, "I will get paid for the entire day?" "Why?" I responded. They said, "I am entitled to geting money and I do not have to do anything for it.  That's what the government tells me."  My response was,"What are you going to do when there is no more money avaialble by the government?" 

The person laughed and said, "That will never happen because my parents have ben on welfare and food stamps most of their lives so I can get on that bandwagon.  In fact the Bible teaches about getting something for nothing.  It's called Grace."

As in many dreams, the scene immediately changed and all I saw was a blank light area and heard, "Teach them to fish" .  Then as I sunk back into sleep, I saw a church group of men who initated a summer work program. But this program was different in that they took time to teach work habits and train the basics of getting a job and knowing what is required by an employer.  High school students were lining up to take the training and get a summer job.

The rules were simple, businesses and people in the church would list a job and the men's group would connect them to the student.  One person would agree to go with the student to make sure they understand the needs of the job and the student would know that they would get $10.00- $12.00 an hour if they worked the hour.  If they did not then there were consequences to their playing around or trying to extend the time so they could get more pay by not getting the full hour of pay.

Goals were established but I saw the only goal was to teach that "If you give them a fish (money) they will party for a day.  If  you teach them to fish (work for money) they will live well for a lifetime." 

As I watch this unfold in my dreams, I see how the training ties seving and giving to others by learning to have great work ethics.  These ethics were now seen in a mission trip by students. 

Grace is a spiritual gift to last a lifetime but one of the best gifts people in the church can give to our youth is to teach our young people how to fish.  It will last them no matter what our govenrment does.