Luke 18:11-12 (NLT)
The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.
“Lukewarm people gauge their morality or goodness by comparing themselves to the secular world. They feel satisfied that while they aren't as hardcore for Jesus as so-and-so, they are nowhere near as horrible as the guy down the street.” (page 72)
I grew up in the great state of Texas. The land of Republicans, Baptists, the Religion of High School Football, and competitions. (And no, these aren't the reasons I moved. Although it may have played a part in it.) From an early age, Texas boys are trained like Spartans in preparation for their entrance onto the field and turned against one another to compete for positions and therefore, status. They are taught to worship the Dallas Cowboys, study the history of the glorious old days of the Southwestern Conference, and review over the “X’s” and “O’s” long before learning their regular alphabet.
Not to be outdone, cheer-leading and its various competitions are just as fiercely competitive as the football environment. Remember the story about the mother who had people injured so her daughter could make the team?
In short, Texans (and most every other American) are bred and programmed for competition. So we have a predisposition to comparing ourselves to others. Like most everything else however, Jesus draws a different line. We aren't supposed to worry about what others are doing or not doing. We are to pick up our crosses and follow him. We are to give everything we are and not look at our neighbor and say, “Well, we’re giving more than them.” With blinders on like those race horses wear to guide their vision straight ahead, let us run the race with our eyes on the prize. Not on everyone else. This is not about position and whether you’re better at this thing than one of your cohorts. This is all about Jesus!
Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read page 72 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski
