Category Archives: Pride

My Idolatrous Heart: Self-Righteousness

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“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’” Luke 18:10-13

It was the late 1980’s. I was emerging from a long journey through confusion and spiritual emptiness. I had a newfound desire for the Word of God. I was growing in my walk with God. I was learning and had a passion for ministry again. The long descent had taken several years and now I had swung around and was quickly heading in the other direction. I was consuming all of the Bible teaching I could get my hands on. I was on a roll. I had gone from being confused to confident. But all was not well.

I began to issue edicts for our family. I was determined to banish any traces of harmful influences from the world and culture in which we lived. We were going to be a household that served the Lord (Joshua 24:15). There was no discussion. I decided, and it was. Now, my poor wife not only had whiplash from my rapid reversal of convictions and worldview, she was having treasured family traditions yanked from her life without any discussion.

The impact of my new approach spilled over into the church. I stood in the pulpit, as I had opportunity, and railed against the idolatry and lack of purity in the church. I challenged church leaders, telling them that they and the church needed revival. I wrote songs that lashed out against all of the compromise that I saw. I confronted the pastor and he responded by suggesting that I needed counseling. So, I left that church, taking my family with me.

The next few years were tough, but growing times. I would like to say that I fully learned my lesson at that time, but it is a lesson I continue to learn. God began to teach me about His grace. I learned, but still fell.

I can remember my early days in worship ministry. I thought I knew God’s plan and agenda for worship in the church. I had it figured out. How foolish I was. Today, I feel like I know less than I did then. God is so much bigger than He was then. Obviously, God did not change, but He has graciously worked in my life and revealed Himself to me through the years.

Were all of my convictions about the church, spiritual life, and worship wrong? No. At least, I don’t think so. In fact, I still hold onto most of the same convictions and, in many cases, I hold them more strongly today. So, what is the difference? Over the years, by God’s grace, I have learned to view myself more like the tax collector in the passage above. I understand a little better how absolutely depraved and hopeless I am without Jesus Christ. I don’t have all of the answers. In fact, I don’t have any of them. God does. God and His Word alone are alone infallible. So, I have learned to hold things a little more loosely. And, I have a long way to go. I still have a lot of Pharisee in me.

Self-righteousness is a symptom of pride, which I discussed in the last entry. At its core is an exalting of ourselves, our lives, our convictions and opinions to the level of the Almighty God. Of course, we don’t see it that way, but if we honestly evaluate things, that is what it is. When the Pharisees and teachers of the Law added all of their additional requirements to those in the Word of God, they were placing their wisdom on the same level as God’s. They condemned others for not upholding these additional laws and clarifications, just as they would the Law, or even more so. And we do the same thing.

How? When we judge others for not holding the same convictions as us, even though they are not mandates of Scripture. When we make minor, debatable or extra-biblical issues into major issues, on the level with doctrines like the inerrancy of Scripture or the deity of Christ, we become just like the Pharisees, exalting our rules and convictions to the level of Scripture. When we criticize or demean others for their lack of conviction in these areas, we put ourselves in the place of judge. However, there are many issues where orthodox, godly Bible scholars have differing opinions. Maybe our positions are valid. Maybe they aren’t. This is where we learn to major on the majors and minor on the minors. This is where we can encourage and challenge each other to dig deeper into the Word and together we will grow (Proverbs 27:17).

Self-righteousness shows itself when we stand outside someone’s life and make judgments about how they are conducting their lives or raising their families. This, of course, is the easy thing to do. It is much harder to invest ourselves in their lives, seeking to help them grow in their faith and learning together. It is much harder to love others like Jesus did and get involved in the messiness of their lives. Maybe we are afraid. Maybe we are lazy. Or maybe we are too proud and it is easier to lob judgments at them from afar. Ironically, if we did get involved with their lives, we might find they have a greater understanding of God than we do. The tax collector in our passage knew exactly where he stood before God. The Pharisee did not (Luke 18:13-14).

When we criticize or judge those who God has placed in leadership in the church, we are not only demonstrating self-righteousness, we are putting ourselves in opposition to God. Ultimately, church leadership is not accountable to us. They will be held accountable to God, for they are called to watch over those in their care (Hebrews 13:17). I am not saying this just because I am a church staff member. I have been on both sides of this relationship. I have been the receiver and the giver of criticism. I have been critical and judgmental of leadership. And I needed to repent.

Regarding the pastor I challenged many years ago, I had to go to him and ask for forgiveness, even though I still held to my convictions. In fact, I still think I was right, but my heart was wrong and my actions were not godly. I should have prayed for him and worked with him. I should have brought my concerns to him in a humble manner. Things could have turned out differently. In the end, maybe no change would have occurred and we would have had to leave the church because of our convictions. However, I would have been obedient to God and not guilty of rebellion, gossip, slander, and undermining the work of the church. Ironically, as it turned out, I became the custodian of that church. So, I ended up cleaning this pastor’s toilets. I am pretty sure God was humbling me through that.

We need to remember that God does not need our help to make sure things go right. God is sovereign. He will accomplish His will for His church and the spreading of the gospel with or without us and our great convictions and ideas. We need to remember how desperately we need a Savior, and that apart from God’s unbelievable grace and mercy, we stand absolutely condemned, without hope or salvation or forgiveness.

It is important to remember that Jesus was condemned and handed over by religious people, not “pagans.” He challenged their self-righteousness, superiority, and wicked hearts, and they killed Him for it. Jesus is not calling us to be religious. He is calling us to a radical relationship with Him, with the realization that all we have is in Him. Our greatest joy comes from being filled and satisfied in Him.

Jesus demonstrated humility through His incarnation, life, ministry, and sacrifice (Philippians 2:1-11). We should do the same. We should remain humble and flee pride and self-righteousness. If we humble ourselves before God, He will exalt us. And if our cause is from Him, He will honor it and bring it to pass (James 4:6-10; 1 Peter 5:5-6).

Together for His glory…

My Idolatrous Heart – Pride

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The topic of idolatry summons up different meanings for many of us. Many of you who read this would consider yourselves to be Christians or followers of Christ. For the Christian, the topic of idolatry often conjures up images of statues or images worshiped in other religions. We think of the many references in the Bible to the gods of the nations that God warned Israel against. There were the constant warnings from the prophets, calling the people of God to forsake the worship of gods and return to the Lord.

At the heart of idolatry, though, are not the objects being worshiped. Primarily, it is the attitude of the heart. Therefore, idolatry could involve not only objects, but people, aspirations or pursuits, possessions, or even our own convictions and belief structures, if they are not grounded in the Truth. For the unbeliever, these things keep the person from finding their ultimate joy and satisfaction in God. For the believer, though, it can have the same result. Though we have found freedom through Jesus Christ, we repeatedly return to the pursuit of the things from which we were redeemed. We seek to find joy and satisfaction from those things which will never truly satisfy.

So, as I continue to examine the impact of idolatry on our lives, I will focus on an analysis of the attitudes of the heart. One of the primary, if not the primary, indications of an idolatrous heart is pride.

2 Chronicles 26 details the reign of King Uzziah in Judah. Uzziah started off well. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord (2 Chronicles 26:4). However, his life and reign did not end well. “But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the Lord his God…” (2 Chronicles 26:16). Uzziah set out to do something that God had forbid him to do. The priests in the temple tried to stop him and, rather than listen to their warning, he became angry with them. At that moment, God struck him with leprosy, and he remained that way until his death, living in seclusion (2 Chronicles 26:21).

Pride can be a very strong influence in our lives. We use the phrase commonly in our language. We take pride on our work. We are proud of our children or our accomplishments. There is a sense of pride in being a part of a worthwhile cause. It means that we esteem or value something as dear or important to us. I believe God calls us to excellence in our relationships and pursuits. We should value these things. However, when the value we place on these things reign higher, in our hearts and lives, than the place only God deserves, it becomes idolatry.

How do we know when this point arrives? What are the telltale signs of idolatrous pride? I have seen it in the lives of others. I have seen it in my own life, although not as often as I should. It usually takes intervention from God to humble, teach, or remind me of my proper place in things. Nevertheless, here are some ways I have seen sinful pride revealed or on display.

Taking credit for God’s work. When we begin to take too much ownership or credit for something we have done, we are taking credit for what, ultimately, God has enabled us to do. We become self-sufficient in our own abilities and wisdom. Whether it is having a successful marriage and home life, raising godly and well-balanced kids, succeeding in careers or ministry, and many other things we could list, there is always a danger of forgetting the source of our abilities and what we are able to accomplish in life (John 15:4-5; 1 Corinthians 1:25-31. We need to remember that apart from Christ, we can do nothing lasting or of eternal value. Apart from Christ, we have no hope. We should direct all praise to God, Who has graciously allowed us to participate in the work He is doing.

Craving praise from others for our value and accomplishments. When we crave or glory in the praise of others, we are valuing their recognition and approval more than God’s. Their praise of us, rather than glorifying God, becomes our pursuit and pleasure. We work or advertise our efforts, in self-promotion, so that we will be acknowledged by others. We steal the glory that God alone deserves and He has told us that He will not share His glory (Isaiah 48:11). We also receive the only reward we will get, which is the fleeting approval and praise of others (Matthew 6:1-5). Instead, we need to live and work for the glory of God, receiving from Him an eternal reward, which will never fade, and the joy and delight that come from resting in His will and provision. And we need to do this regardless of the amount of recognition that we receive from others, if any.

Arrogance and easily taking offense. This arrogance is displayed when we value our opinions and our work so highly that we boast and build up our own importance. Or, we demean or tear down the work and value of others. Whether it is related to our position, ministry activities, our interpretation of Scripture, or any number of ministry, political or social issues, this arrogance often reveals itself through the belittling of other ideas or individuals. Pride also reveals itself when we are easily offended. When we hold ourselves or opinions too highly, any critique or comment can be viewed as an attack. We take offense, rather than listen and evaluate the opinions of others. Bitterness, rage, verbal attacks, and withdrawal are common responses when we are easily offended. We need to be quick to listen and slow to speak (Proverbs 19:11; Galatians 5:22-26; James 1:19-20). Humility and longsuffering should guide our actions.

Not teachable and submissive. This is closely tied with arrogance. When we are not teachable, we value ourselves, our agenda, and our positions too highly. None of us are God. There is only One Who knows truth perfectly. This does not diminish the importance of our convictions and holding to the truth of God. However, if we are unwilling to listen to the instruction and wisdom of those who God has placed in positions of authority over us, we are guilty of the sin of pride. Ultimately, we may be in the right, but we must approach these moments with humility and openness to what God will teach us. By remaining teachable and humble, we honor those in authority and allow for a dialog to take place that can help us and others grow. Also, this heart attitude glorifies God (Hebrews 13:7, 17).

There is no way to touch on all of the aspects of how pride impacts our life. It is sometimes brazen and out in the open. Sometimes it is subtle, twisting itself around our hearts and minds, impacting our relationships with God and others. The sin of pride is basically the result of setting up an idol to ourselves. It is bowing down to our own importance and accomplishments. It is the valuing of ourselves more than God and His work in our lives.

I wish I could see how much this permeates my own life and how this impacts those I love and those I work with. I have a long way to go, but God is so gracious and patient. I pray that He will remind us all of the joy of resting in His sufficiency and salvation, forsaking our own glory and praise. The world tells us to hold on. God says let it go. We don’t need anyone’s approval but His. He is sufficient. And in His marvelous grace and power, He has equipped us to do His work, for His glory and our joy in Him.

Together for His glory…