I write this during the season of Lent. It is the time of year before Easter that many Christians choose to give up something for God. Many give up certain foods and some give up things that are not necessarily good for them… This year I thought I would teach about giving up certain attitudes that hinder us in our Christian walk.
One thing I have noticed is that sometimes I can get the feeling that I am better than others. Especially those who have made a big mess of their life.
That is a bad attitude for anyone especially for a Christian when you start acting like you are something special, that God got a good deal when He got you on His team! You walk around with the I Like Me Better attitude.
The “I Like Me Better” attitude is a Superiority 
Complex
Living or working with anyone who feels that they are so much better than anyone else is hell. The truth is that a person who lives with a sense of superiority thinks they are so much better off than they really are. And when you try to communicate with such a person there is this big cement wall between you and them that you just can’t get past.
Superiority in Christians is the worse fault. A sense of superiority will kill your witness to others. Romans 3:10 say’s “There is no one righteous, not even one”. Even the most morally upright person, falls short of God’s glory. In fact, the gospel exposes the depths of our depravity—Every one (Christians and Non-Christians) fall short of the glory of God.
Salvation Does Not Make Me Better Than Others
Salvation – Being Saved – should make us eager to admit our deficit before God and grateful for all the gifts that God has given us in salvation. Let me use an illustration–
In John 4:5-42 – we find the familiar episode of Jesus’ life as he encountered the Samaritan woman at the well. Before we look at his interaction with the woman I want you to notice the contrast between the woman and the Pharisees in verse 4.
The Pharisees were concerned popularity; their popularity, and he was getting too much attention. He wasn’t getting through to them. They had their lists of do’s and don’ts, they were a proud people. The Pharisees felt superior to anyone who challenged their thinking. They walked around with the attitude that said “I Like Me Better” than you.
Jesus left Judea headed towards Galilee
and made a stop in Samaria. There he met a Samaritan woman who was someone any self-respecting God-fearing Jew would look down on… Notice – Jesus didn’t care about social convention – He was always on a mission even when he stopped to rest and drink. 
The one thing that the Samaritan woman had going for her was that she was humble; humble enough to want to learn more from a stranger. When Jesus met the Samaritan woman he broke all kinds of social conventions. He spoke to a woman in public, a Samaritan who were looked down on by Jews because they saw Samaritans as half-breeds.
This persons life was a mess and it could have really messed up Jesus’ reputation as a holy man if someone else witnessed this interaction. But Jesus brought his message of grace and freedom to the woman anyways. I truly believe that Jesus knew that this woman was humble, that she realized that her life was a mess. And in this situation she would actually hear and respond to the Good news. She was totally opposite to the religious Jews who were too busy and to concerned with self-importance to hear the good news of the Gospel.
We need to remember that God doesn’t care about any of the artificial lines we draw to make ourselves feel superior to others.
How Can We Learn To Give Up Any Feelings Of Superiority
The simple answer is to live every day as humble as Jesus!
JESUS WAS HUMBLE. We know who Jesus was – “He is the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:5). Yet he humbled himself and came in the form of man; a man of no reputation.
In his life here on earth Jesus never insisted on His rights and privileges to be honored. Isaiah 53:3 says “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.”
Jesus stayed humble all the way to the cross – Isaiah 53:7 prophesied this – “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” 
The problem with humanity is a result of our fallen nature. It is as if we tend to become preoccupied with our image and want to be recognized for our good choices or good deeds. When we focus on how good we are we neglect to recognize that this leads us on a path to the whole “I am better than you” complex, walking around with a superiority complex.
You try to be humble but then tests come our way that challenge our humility- We do the best we can at something, thinking this is going make a difference, but then we don’t get recognition. Then we ask “Why don’t people recognize how good I did”? It doesn’t feel good, we are left with a feeling that others don’t see how good I am. We want to be important, pride steps in and humility goes out the door.
Humility is the way to living daily with a proper attitude in our relationship with God and others.
Jesus was humble, it was part of his nature, His words in Matthew 11:28-30 testify of this – “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
What stops us from living a life of humility? I believe our biggest problem with living a life of humility is that we sometimes misunderstand what true humility is!
If you want to learn more about living a life of humility there is an excellent article by Jolene Underwood called “What is Humility? (And How Do I Live A Humble Life) on “IBelieve.com” She lists 5 ways to grow in humility. You can check the article out here – https://www.ibelieve.com/faith/what-is-humility-and-how-do-i-live-a-humble-life.html
My Journey In Overcoming A Superiority Complex For Lent
Do you have something that upsets you? I do. I get so upset when I learn that someone I know likes to go out drinking; loves to go to a bar on Saturday night, drinks way too much, and then has trouble getting up Sunday morning. I tend to look at people who do that like “why are you wasting your life that way”. It bothers me as a pastor, sometimes I think I could have better attendance on Sunday if I just changed the times to Saturday night, brought in a rock band and served alcohol. Sick I know.
As I was thinking about this whole idea of giving up a superiority complex for Lent I realized that when it comes to drinking and partying I tended to have a superiority complex with this and acted like “I am so much better than you; I like me better, and I don’t like you”.
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t see anywhere in the Bible where it is a sin to drink. Jesus did turn water into wine and the people who were with him at the wedding drank too much. I would like a beer sometimes but I gave it all up long ago after the frustration of watching people in my family destroy their life because of alcoholism. But in the end I took on this attitude that I am so smart and you are so stupid, that is a wrong attitude, that is what some call “stinking thinking” it is acting like I am better than you.
Now when I meet people who do what I don’t like I probably do come off as better than you. That is my challenge this year. I realize that God loves everyone of those people who don’t do as I do. And when I act as if I am better I am messing up own witness and in the end pushing them farther and farther away from me and from God who loves them so much he sent his only-begotten son do die on a cross so that they could have hope of getting right with God – getting their own life together.
I can see I have a challenge – Believe me I am going to be praying and seeking God’s help with this effort if I am ever going to get past this.
Do You Have A Struggle With “I Am Better Than You” Attitude?
Think about it. If you would like to comment here or offer a suggestion please do. I hope something I said here will help you on your journey with Christ.
And if something I said here offended you, please forgive me, I am just another soul struggling on a journey with Christ and trying to understand faith as best as I can.
Pastor Ray
Author of Walkinghope.com
