Stop Misusing Your Privilege
Why We Misuse Our Privileges And How To Make Them Count
I often wonder if we realise just how privileged we are. Life isn’t perfect (and it never will be) but even medical advances are nothing short of a miracle to me. Once upon a time, mental health issues were treated as demonic possession and an exorcist was called. Minor infections meant you had a body part chopped off. Also, did you know it wasn’t till 1848 that the government decreed that every new house should have a toilet?
While I do think some people could do with an exorcist, I also believe a lot of us overlook the privileges we have. Whether it’s because our lives aren’t as we think they should be, others being more privileged than we are or simply the busyness of our daily routines and struggles getting in the way - whatever the reason, our privileges get taken for granted instead of getting treated as the gifts (yes, GIFTS) they are. Therefore I ask the question, Are you misusing your privilege?
Today’s newsletter is simply a call to action to use what you currently have available to you. Use what’s in your hands. You have life, you have time, you have a functioning mind - use them for the benefit of others. If there’s one thing I want you to take away from this newsletter, it is to use what you have. What will you do with your five fish and two loaves of bread?
Why Do We Misuse Our Privileges?
Well somehow, we’ve been conditioned to believe life is hard for some and easier for others. We believe our lives are inexplicably harder than we deserve them to be so we focus on what we lack rather than what we have. This focus on “lack” can be traced back all the way to Adam and Eve - remember they had access to abundance but somehow were convinced to focus on lack rather than what they had. Reread Genesis 3:1-13 and see for yourself.
Let’s explore in a bit more detail why we misuse our privileges:
They Feel Ordinary
Our privileges, especially those we’ve been exposed to from a young age often feel normal or better emphasised - invisible, because they are part of our regular daily experience. Access to healthcare, education, a roof over our heads, opportunities, safety etc - often gets taken for granted and some of us mistakenly assume everyone has the same access. Some of us have been shielded from the fact that not everyone has the same access and some of us are wilfully ignorant to that fact.
Normalisation of our privileges blinds us to the fact that what we consider ordinary in our lives is extraordinary to some people.
We Feel Entitled
There’s a certain mindset people have or develop over time that leads us to believe that everything we’ve been blessed with, we have a right to. They believe that they’ve earned their privileges rather than they were blessed with them. Our privileges and blessings are opportunities for us to bless others but too often people center themselves and their sense of entitlement blocks their gratitude and humility.
I know people who grew up in council homes and were privileged enough to buy a home but somewhere along the way, they forgot this and believe they are superior to people living in council homes. There’s a certain arrogance that comes with people’s come-up and I often pray we don’t forget where we came from. We also shouldn’t let the blessing distract us from the blesser.
Complacency
At its core, complacency is the result of getting comfortable with the status quo so we don’t question the systems that benefit us or seek to improve them. Life gets comfortable and some of us lose the drive to improve ourselves and help others. The false sense of security that comes with a regular paycheque and good health can take away our urgency, causing us to get complacent and in some instances to even regress.
When we’re complacent we stagnate, waste opportunities and limit our ability to help others. Complacency is one of the biggest ways we misuse our privilege. Complacency causes us to settle when we could fly high instead.
Fear of Loss
Sometimes we fear losing the little we have. This is common with people operating from a place of lack, rather than sharing what we have or letting go in order to make room for more, we hoard our privileges. We worry that sharing with others will leave us without enough for ourselves, forgetting the core principle that if we give, it will come back to us.
Luke 6:38 (NIV): “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you”
How Do We Misuse Our Privileges
Access to clean water, decent transportation, quality education, living in a Western country, waking up healthy etc etc are common privileges I hope we don’t take for granted. Let me outline a few ways our privileges get misused:
Ignoring Purpose to Chase a Partner
Many of us willingly delay, sideline or deprioritise God-given purpose in pursuit of love. For some, it even becomes their sole focus. I am under no illusion as to the importance of love and companionship, especially as we’re getting older. I believe however we need to be careful not to idolise them. Relationships are meant to complement our lives. They’re meant to help us in our pursuit of purpose, not replace the work we’re called to do.
Matthew 6:33 (NLT): “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.”
Resting On Our Laurels
I think about the sacrifices my mother made and how she worked tirelessly to give me a better life and I remind myself I can’t afford to rest on my laurels. I believe it is our responsibility to build on the foundations laid by those who came ahead of us - from the sacrifices of our parents to those who fought against slavery to the people who opened doors for us in corporate establishments, their hard work helped elevate us and we owe it to them to do the same for those coming after us.
Proverbs 13:22 (NIV): “A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children…”
Mindless Scrolling
I speak often about the importance of reading and upskilling. There’s an endless amount of information available to us yet many of us choose to spend our time scrolling through distraction after distraction rather than investing in our growth and development. Access to knowledge and information is a privilege and is often ignored. The Bible speaks on the importance of wisdom, often.
Ephesians 5:15-16 (NIV): “Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”
Using Old Age as an Excuse
The old-er generation often use their age as an excuse not to start, claiming they’re old. I’d go as far as claiming the generations above millennials aged themselves by claiming “old age” while they were still young. Years spent on earth are filled with valuable experiences and wisdom that can be passed on to the next generation. Years spent on earth are a reminder of how valuable time is; both are privileges not to be wasted.
Proverbs 6:9 (NLT): “But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up?”
Misusing the Privilege of Youth
When we’re young we’re filled with energy, vitality and a long(er) runway to try things, make mistakes and learn but a lot of us spend our youth uselessly. Today is the day to begin laying the foundations for our future. To pursue purpose and to live with intention. We can’t afford to get sucked into the trap of thinking “I’ll do it later”, time is fleeting. There’s no rush, but there is urgency.
1 Timothy 4:12 (NLT): “Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.”
Concluding
As I stated earlier, this newsletter hopefully serves as a call to action to use what you have now. The privileges we have are not for our comfort alone. When we misuse them, we not only limit our growth but we also fail to use them for the purpose for which they were given, establishing His Kingdom. Every opportunity, every advantage, every resource, every blessing is a gift from God to be used for His glory and the benefit of others.
From a Biblical perspective, misuse of privilege is often tied to forgetting the Source of our blessings. Recognizing that every blessing we have comes from God hopefully shifts our mindsets from one of entitlement or complacency to one of gratitude and intentionality. From one of selfishness and self-preservation to one of stewardship and abundance. Privilege is an opportunity so let's stop misusing it. Let’s use it to create the kind of change that makes the world a better place.
As always, make a decision that future you will be grateful for.
Have a great week!
CT
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