The Me Me Me Stigma

It is unbelievable how people across America are turning into crowds of self-indulgent, self-centered renegades.  I would like to know how their sense of worth, self-discipline, and compassion for hard working retailers has eroded to the level it is today.

It is sad they do not recognize the effort and hard work it takes to try to make ends meet.  It takes a lot of money to keep shelves and inventory filled for paying customers. 

It is shameful when thieves smash and grab what isn’t theirs.  These people certainly need God, more-so than someone else’s property that they stole.  I am sure they have the me, me, me stigma and lack the statutes of God within them.

If they only knew that God has joy and true happiness free for the asking, with an inventory overflowing with peace and blessings superb.  They need Jesus and a lot of prayer to bring them to Him.

Seeing what they do lights a huge fire-of-rage in the pit of my stomach.  Talking about prayer, I also need prayer for forgiveness regarding my attitude.  If it were not for the grace and mercy of God, I might be going down the same path as these rebels.

Yes, we live around people that have the me, me, me stigma that refuse to live within restrictions, but what’s new?  My father-in-law told me that there are takers and there are givers. 

We are in a world of takers, but we do not have to act or become like these misfits that take advantage of others and do what insolent people do.  They are individuals without an ethical foundation that need salvation.  Jesus Christ is the answer for the unrest and anger in their soul.

In the beginning of time, a female named Eve, wanted her way without restrictions.  She determined in her mind to take a certain piece of fruit that she was commanded not to eat.  But she did not take into consideration the consequences of her actions when she disobeyed God.

Before I met the Lord, I was well on my way to acquiring the me, me, me stigma.  My wayward soul was headed down the wide road to destruction, but Jesus changed the old nature that was in me.  He replaced it with Godly values that were missing.  He gave me a feeling of worth deep within my heart.

I am old-school and believe in working for the things I want.  I am God fearing, honest, and consider myself a man of integrity.  I thank the good Lord for being my moral compass that leads me on the path of righteousness.  I also thank God for the good sense He gave me.

The following rhetoric came my way from a person I know.  I could not believe what I was hearing when he said that I needed to spend my money, live for today, and let tomorrow take care of itself. 

In essence he was saying, if I run out of money, because of bad investments or just blowing it on nonessential things, I should just kick back and let society take care of me.  Doesn’t that sound like excellent advice with outstanding logic?  I think not.  This person spends just about every dollar he earns, and I doubt has anything laid away for retirement.  Go figure.

It seems like this kind of thinking can become habit-forming with some people that are reaching for something, which is beyond their reach, because they lack the funds to pay for it, but they buy it anyway, usually on time.

I believe the reason they are prone to make bad choices is because they might be materialistic, and in a lifestyle of predictable habits.  They need someone to come along side and teach them how to save, if they would listen.

When I was growing up, my dad taught me to live within my means.  Having a job is wonderful, but to justify wrong choices by exceeding one’s income or budget to buy something they cannot afford is foolish.

Everyone should consider job security may be here today but gone tomorrow.  I do not drink, but I heard someone say, “There are people with Champagne taste on a beer income.”  This statement makes my point very well.  I am acquainted with people who have this mindset.

Anything can happen in this whirlwind economy with skyrocketing inflation and stores going out of business, many of them because of thievery.  They just can’t make it, so they must close the doors of their business.  Some companies have been successful for decades, but because of dishonest people taking without paying, doors close, and jobs are lost.

With the me, me, me stigma and having untamed desires, logic sometimes takes flight, while commonsense moves to the backseat of sensible thinking.  Often, it does not matter if cash money is not readily available, if there is plastic money to purchase what a person probably doesn’t need in the first place.  All they need to do is simply insert the plastic Visa (or other) into the card reader, and presto, the purchase is made.

People sometimes go into debt, while closing their mind to the undue strain that excessive obligations can place on the household budget.  But they do it anyway, because they want it. 

My dad was a lay-in-store type of person when he was alive.  He believed in saving money when he could, because he went through the Great Depression that started in 1929 and lasted until 1946.  He saw tough times where money was hard to come by.

Dad raised me to save for rainy days, which was great advice.  We never know when something unexpected might come our way.  It was as if Dad watched the pennies and allowed the dollars to take care of themselves. 

Dad thought it was poor judgment to go in debt for something that you could save for and perhaps buy later with cash, thus saving interest payments.  He invested wisely, when he bought his first house late in life.  Other than that, he paid cash for everything.

There is a nature in mankind that hates to wait for anything.  They want it now!  I once said it was because we are in a computer age, but I was wrong.  More than likely, it is due to poor judgment and being impulsive.  Taking time to weigh the cost when making decisions is critical.

I am sure you have noticed people are refusing to be second fiddle to anyone or anything.  They refuse to consider others before themselves.  Try merging into traffic on the freeway and watch the person behind, speed up and then lift their middle finger at you. 

What’s happening?  What is causing people to act as they do?  It’s the me, me, me stigma.  It is getting harder to recognize the world that I grew up in.  It seems like more and more people are becoming less and less tolerant of others and more self-absorbed than ever before.

Like I said, thieves are boldly going into stores and taking merchandise that does not belong to them, with no fear of consequences or retribution for their actions, because they want it now.  Home invasions are becoming commonplace and more prevalent, because of the me, me, me stigma.  They want, so they take.

We need to fall on our knees and pray for a Holy Ghost revival to fill our land and bring every man, woman, boy, and girl back to Whom America was founded, “In God We Trust.”

(2 Chronicles 7:14), “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 will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

I saw a religious tract a few years back that showed “man” sitting on the throne of God, with God underneath.  Think about it, Eve wanted to be like God, or become a god, as Satan (the serpent) beguiled her to transgress against God.

(Genesis 3:4-6), “but of the fruit of the tree, which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ “(Vs 4) “Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die.’ “(Vs 5) “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

As a precaution, I believe everyone should seriously consider the cost of something before being sucked into a decision they will regret later.  I am not saying we are like Adam and Eve if we want something.  We need to just take a moment and consider the bottom-line reason for wanting a certain thing and if we can really afford to purchase it.

Eve wanted something so bad that she didn’t think it through and regretted her reckless decision when she and Adam were escorted out of their home (The Garden of Eden).  I believe it was the me, me, me stigma that got them into trouble.

And now you have the whole story on my slant regarding the me, me, me stigma.  I hope you sensed my sincere desire to help in some way to make life less stressful for you.

Written by, 

Papa Boyd