Practically everything that goes on in the world-wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important-has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. I John 2:16 (MSG)

I have been wrestling with this verse and the subject it describes for the last month or so particularly as it applies to church leaders. I have noticed through many conversations, rather it be through Twitter, Facebook, blogs, speakers, or personal conversations, the trend of talking about ourselves and what we do. The NIV version says, “… the boasting of what he has and he does…”. I feel as if there is this underlying current of bragging about what we have going for us. Our attendance, our services, our travels, our connections, our networks, our blessings, the constant name dropping, and so on. We shamelessly self-promote and mask it with the infamous “look what God is doing” context. Now, before I go any further I must say that my motives are not out of envy or bitterness towards others who seem to be doing so well or do more than me. I have checked my heart in this regard. For me this is something deeper. Something that lurks in the heart. John identifies this issue as something that is connected to the world and our flesh, not the Father. It is not Christ like to boast about what we have and what we do. But is it just me or is this everywhere today?

I see this spiritual arrogance everywhere. This whole “I am so and so and you better recognize it” attitude is bothering me a lot. “It’s not arrogance, it’s boldness” they say. Boldness never points to self. Actually, anything we do or say shouldn’t point to ourselves and our accomplishments. Humility is a ghost these days. It has been replaced by the glam and satisfaction of recognition and fame. To be seen and known is more important than to be invisible and serve. I mean think about it, Jesus would heal people and tell them to not tell everyone who did it. We  heal someone (God through us mind you) and we write a book and go on tour. Our thirst for fame and the look of importance and success is a sign that our culture is rubbing off on us.

John’s passage brings to mind Jesus’ rebuke of the Pharisees in Matthew 23:5, “Everything they do is done for men to see…” These men were religious leaders who had become obsessed with the best seats, their titles, their appearance, their so called importance. And Jesus does not applaud it. In fact he gives one of his most harsh rebukes in the Scriptures for an entire chapter. Hypocrites. Snakes. Blind guides. Graves. Not the most encouraging, hope filled, prosper-seeking message that we find on our TV’s now and days.

I am all for success if it is real success. I am all for people’s lives being truly changed but not at the expense of someone gaining all the credit for it other than Jesus. I know many of us give Him credit with our words but our actions and lives don’t reflect that. Many of us have been trained well in how to sound more spiritual than we actually are. I believe Jesus quoted Isaiah when He said of some Pharisees, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” And that is what this all comes back around to. Our hearts. Are we becoming more worldly than godly? John says that us constantly boasting and talking about ourselves and what we do is a sign that we are worldly. It has rubbed off on us.

I have wrestled with this myself. I battled the urge to appear important and famous. Rather it be through music or church. I have dealt with this in my own heart. It is the battle between significance and fame. There is a huge difference. So I don’t write out of bitterness or jealousy. I write it as part of my own journey. I finish with a simple verse, John 3:30, “He must become greater, I must become less”.