I’m sure none of you deal with this, but sometimes I can get really annoyed at people.
Selfish people annoy me – you know, the ones who aren’t paying attention when you’re trying to merge into the turning lane? Or the ones who only talk about themselves and their problems?
I also get annoyed at the hypocrites. I know I’m not alone there. Those “religious” people who claim to know Christ, but act like jerks and treat others horribly. Who put on a show when the “right” people are watching and let their true, nasty selves show when those of us who are “unimportant” are around?
Yep, I hate strongly dislike those folks. And what’s sad is that I see them EVERYWHERE. ALL THE TIME.
And you know what’s even worse than that? I tend to completely ignore the fact that I also see one every time I look in the mirror.
Because what I have observed is that the sins that annoy me most in others are the sins that I battle myself.
I think it’s similar to what happens when you get a new car. Three years ago, I had never even heard of a Mazda 5. Then we got one, and now I see them almost daily. Why? Because I am aware of those cars. I’m in one everyday. So I notice others who are in the same kind of car.
In the same way, I struggle daily with selfishness and hypocrisy. Sadly, sometimes “sitting” in those sins. And so, I am quick to see them in others.
What’s sad is that, in others, those sins are disgusting and disastrous to the body of Christ. But when it’s me, it’s just a bad day.
CS Lewis touches on this is in Mere Christianity. He says we are quick to forgive ourselves because we love ourselves – Was I really being selfish? Well…yes, I suppose. BUT… *insert really good reason here*. We are slower to forgive others because we don’t truly love them. We refuse to excuse their sins like we will excuse our own.
On the other hand, this self love can prevent us from truly repenting. Because I love myself and make excuses for my sin, I don’t fully recognize the need to repent. My hypocrisy isn’t really hypocrisy. That guy was a jerk to me, so I have every reason to be a jerk to him.
Except that I don’t. Because Jesus tells us to love our enemies, to pray for them. So instead of justifying all the reasons why that selfish hypocrite is undeserving of my kindness, I need to confess that I am a selfish hypocrite in desperate need of God’s grace.
The awful truth is that we can’t change anyone else. That selfish hypocrite may always be a selfish hypocrite. But, through the power of the Holy Spirit, this selfish hypocrite can change. So I need to focus on my sins and not the sins of others. Better yet, I need to focus on Jesus – the Author and Finisher of my faith.
He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:30
