FEELING SUPERIOR TO OTHERS? DON'T. GO. THERE.

Man has a debilitating practice which perpetually shoots oneself in the spiritual foot of intended progress.  I speak of an attitude of superiority stacked against our fellow man...any and every fellow man.  Such a disposition or stance sucks the life right out of us; even while we inwardly crow that we are not like "them".

Jesus did his best to reverse our self-saturation of believing that we are individually elite-illistically right while noting the errors of THEIR many ways.  In one place He referenced two men praying in the temple.  The religious hound stood thanking God that he was not like others...who were, in his eyes, blatant oughta-know-better sinners.  This one of towering prayer practice believed that he had avoided all of THOSE pitfalls....Luke 18:9-14.

Yet, Jesus didn't buy the Pharisees comparative lingo.  The reason?  The praying man was not close to being superior to the one whom he regarded as a shameful sinner.  God's teaching here and numerous other texts is consistently revealing that only the humble grasp His call to allow Him to make us right(eous) because we can't produce such on our own.

So how are you/we doing?  Do you ever feel superior to another social class?  A race?  A creed?  An accomplishment?  Are you ever caught thanking God that you are not weak like others, you don't have a skin tone like others, or you haven't a mistaken sexual preference like others do?  Do not misunderstand.  I am not condoning sin where God would condemn it.

I am saying we commit a hideous and repetitive sin when we grade ourselves as superior to another...any...other.  This kind of sin doesn't seem to bug us.  But it does God.

Why do I believe this goes on?  I do it.  I have for years.  I've thanked God that I didn't commit this and that I wasn't like that.  I've been quietly grateful that he didn't make me like....many of  them.  But...Jesus came along and broke me.  Oh, I try to hold on to the reigns of effective elite-ism, but Truth won't dare let me set up camp there for I am the least, the weakest, the greatest failure that I've ever met.

This doesn't permit me to accept anothers' lifestyle if it is against the nature of God.  But it reminds me every time that not one person is lower on the Totem Pole of righteousness than I am.  Accepting a lifestyle and accepting a sinner are two different matters.  Jesus eradicated sin....and made the sinner his sister and brother.  Jesus hated sins....and dearly loved those who practiced them.

When you have those days of feeling superior to others because you don't commit THEIR sins, think again.  Each of us is always least to all others and it is this profound route that makes life pop with hope...and with power...and with God's glorious leadership style.

Feeling superior to others?  Don't.  Go.  There.