As I was driving this morning I passed a billboard for a local car dealership that had the tagline, "You deserve it!" I understand their rationale--they want you to come buy a car and are trying to convince you that it's okay to spend the money. It's a deeper root of personal satisfaction that they are trying to influence however--the principle of self-entitlement. This is the underlying cause of so many of our current problems. We think we are entitled to a new possession so we go into debt. Men & women justify their infidelity based on their unhealthy marriages and claim that it is perfectly fine to stray. We rationalize our eating habits and laziness based on our busy schedules and stress levels. We spend time online or in front of the television each night instead of with our families because we've worked hard and deserve the down time.
The phrase, "I deserve it!" becomes a crutch for poor decision making and abandoning principles that are important to us when it's used selfishly. It might seem acceptable (and even beneficial) at the moment, but the results can have lasting effects.
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