Sneaky Self-Righteousness

Self-righteousness is sneaky. It can show up almost anywhere.

You can be self-righteous about:

-Having kept all the rules, or having broken all the rules.

-Being poor, or being wealthy.

-Being a public school parent, or a private school parent, or a home school parent.

-Being Vegan, or eating meat.

-Living in the city, or living in the suburbs.

-Being older and wiser, or being young and ambitious.

-Being driven, or being lazy.

-Giving away a certain amount of money, or saving a certain amount of money.

To be self-righteousness is to think of yourself as commendable to God and better than others because of things you have done.

Instead of self-righteousness, the Bible invites us to enjoy Christ-righteousness—to find our worth, identity, and boast in Jesus Christ and what he has done for us, the undeserving.

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Luke 18:9-14

Add to the list: Where else does sneaky self-righteousness show up?