“Who are you to judge another’s servant?” Romans 14:4 NKJV
Sometimes it’s easy to feel you’re better than someone else just because you feel you have superior values. But the truth is even with those values, your perspective of the other person is still limited. Only God can see the full spectrum and make the best judgement.
One night in January 2022, while I watched a sermon on TV, the Preacher was teaching the story of the Prodigal Son. Then he made a point that made me weep. I mean it, I didn’t just cry, I wept.
He said, “The other brother who didn’t leave with his inheritance felt he was better than the prodigal son. And because of his self-righteousness, he felt entitled to his father’s blessings because he worked hard, but he never asked for the blessings, thus he never received the blessings and he never experienced the mercy that the prodigal son was able to experience.”
I saw my life in that little story and started a journey of self-righteousness. I began to easily spot it in my actions and the people around me. We get so focused on the mistakes of the prodigal son, that we deprive ourselves of the blessings that the older son didn’t receive.
Self-righteousness has its dangers, especially at work. How?
- You are unwilling to ask for help. Because you feel you are better than your colleague, pride stops you from looking weak.
- You don’t receive help. When you hide a weakness, nobody thinks you need help. When you show a weakness, those who can help offer it.
- Your heart posture changes negatively. You get bitter because others can get off the hook, but you can’t because of the expectations you must meet that you and others have set.
- You don’t give yourself a chance to make mistakes. The older brother had the desire to enjoy even a small part of his father’s wealth but could not bring himself to ask for it (Luke 15:29). Your heavenly Father wants you to flex too.
- You exalt your work. In the grand scheme of things, you are only part of a larger picture. Gratitude is better than entitlement.
Do you think you are self-righteous? How can you work on being a better person?
Today’s Task: Make an excuse for someone else’s mistakes today.
Answer this…
“3 things I learned about myself this past month were…”
Take stock of how you have grown and it will surprise you who you are becoming.
Source: I get these growth prompts from my digital journal – GrowthDay.
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