You Can Change #14 (Chapter 2)

In You Can Change, Tim Chester says that one of the reasons we may for pursuing change is that we want to prove ourselves to other people.

One of the problems with trying to prove ourselves to other people is that they set the standard. Their standards may be ungodly, but we adopt their behavior to fit in. Or their standards may be godly, but we’re living in obedience to people rather than in obedience to God. Often what happens is that we settle for living like other people even when that falls short of living like Jesus. Or we measure ourselves against other people and decide we’re more righteous. We may point the finger at others’ faults so we can feel better about ourselves.

Instead we should be comparing ourselves to Jesus, finding we fall a long way short of God’s standards and discovering that we desperately need a Savior. (24)

How can you tell whether you're comparing yourself to other people instead of with Jesus? There should be some fairly simple ways to test this.

• When I am comfortable with my attitudes and actions, is it because I am fitting in with my group (family, church, friends, etc.)?
• When I feel good about myself, is it because I have outperformed someone else?
• When I experience fullness in spiritual disciplines or fruitfulness in ministry, am I more proud of myself than grateful to God?
• When I feel dissatisfied with my performance, is it because someone else is getting attention or credit, and I am not?
• When I desire improvement in my life, is it because I am personally embarrassed?
• When I do grow, do I have an uncontrollable urge to tell everyone else about it in a way that is more about me than God's glory?

Brothers and sisters, this is not just a faulty understanding of justification. This is idolatry.