Benedict Arnold, probably the most notorious traitor and spy this country has ever known. He was born to an average family. His father squandered any inheritance he would have gotten, so first he served as a pharmacist's apprentice, then he enlisted in the Army and served under General George Washington.
The war lasted far longer than anyone thought it would. The colonies refused to give up. The fledgling country went broke, and still the soldiers fought on, with no pay, little food, disappearing supplies, but spirits that would not diminish. Most of them anyway.
Benedict Arnold wanted to be paid. He expected to be paid. He DESERVED to be paid, he told people. He was not willing to wait for the war to end, or for the country to figure out its financial crisis. He wanted it, and he wanted it right then. He deserved it.
Benedict Arnold had a bad case of entitlement. It didn't matter what was going on around him, all he could see and feel was himself, and how things affected him. Things got so bad that he defected. He turned into a spy for the British and defected to their side. He did so for a commission in their army and a small sum. After all, it was money that he felt entitled to. Benedict never got over being poor as a child, and he felt money would buy him the status he deserved in life. He married well, and moved to what he thought would be the winning side.
But... and there's always a but in these cases. And the big but here is that no one on his new team trusted him because of his defection. And neither did anyone on his old team either. They put a price on his head. That move sealed his fate for the rest of his life.
He would go on to live a meager existence by society's standards. He was injured several times in the War of the Rebellion, and suffered the painful effects of that for the rest of his life. He died relatively poor and with a sullied reputation, far from his beloved home soil of the Americas.
The lesson here is to be careful what you put as the most important thing in your life. If you chase the dream, and that dream does not include God being first in your life, then you might end up with exactly what you asked for, but not what you bargained for.
We don't deserve anything in this life. For all of us have fallen short of the glory of God. We are not perfect, not even one. So to believe that we are entitled is a fantasy, and don't let anyone lead you to believe that. It sounds good, but it is nothing but a lie from the enemy. Grace and forgiveness from God is a free gift. Putting Him first in our lives takes no work whatsoever. He has all of the riches and reputation anyone would ever need. All we have to do is take it.
Will you?
Until next time:
Peace to you and yours,
Have this blog delivered right to your Kindle!
Tweet me @LorettaLea
#jclc #Sinclair
#JesusChristLifeCoach
#JesusIsMyLifeCoach
Re-Inventing the Impossible
~Lori
Loretta Sinclair
Sinclair Publishing
http://www.SinclairInkSpot.com
http://www.SinclairInkSpot.com/Jesus-is-my-life-coach
Jesus is my Life Coach!
The war lasted far longer than anyone thought it would. The colonies refused to give up. The fledgling country went broke, and still the soldiers fought on, with no pay, little food, disappearing supplies, but spirits that would not diminish. Most of them anyway.
Benedict Arnold wanted to be paid. He expected to be paid. He DESERVED to be paid, he told people. He was not willing to wait for the war to end, or for the country to figure out its financial crisis. He wanted it, and he wanted it right then. He deserved it.
Benedict Arnold had a bad case of entitlement. It didn't matter what was going on around him, all he could see and feel was himself, and how things affected him. Things got so bad that he defected. He turned into a spy for the British and defected to their side. He did so for a commission in their army and a small sum. After all, it was money that he felt entitled to. Benedict never got over being poor as a child, and he felt money would buy him the status he deserved in life. He married well, and moved to what he thought would be the winning side.
But... and there's always a but in these cases. And the big but here is that no one on his new team trusted him because of his defection. And neither did anyone on his old team either. They put a price on his head. That move sealed his fate for the rest of his life.
He would go on to live a meager existence by society's standards. He was injured several times in the War of the Rebellion, and suffered the painful effects of that for the rest of his life. He died relatively poor and with a sullied reputation, far from his beloved home soil of the Americas.
The lesson here is to be careful what you put as the most important thing in your life. If you chase the dream, and that dream does not include God being first in your life, then you might end up with exactly what you asked for, but not what you bargained for.
We don't deserve anything in this life. For all of us have fallen short of the glory of God. We are not perfect, not even one. So to believe that we are entitled is a fantasy, and don't let anyone lead you to believe that. It sounds good, but it is nothing but a lie from the enemy. Grace and forgiveness from God is a free gift. Putting Him first in our lives takes no work whatsoever. He has all of the riches and reputation anyone would ever need. All we have to do is take it.
Will you?
Until next time:
Peace to you and yours,
Have this blog delivered right to your Kindle!
Tweet me @LorettaLea
#jclc #Sinclair
#JesusChristLifeCoach
#JesusIsMyLifeCoach
Re-Inventing the Impossible
~Lori
Loretta Sinclair
Sinclair Publishing
http://www.SinclairInkSpot.com
http://www.SinclairInkSpot.com/Jesus-is-my-life-coach
Jesus is my Life Coach!
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