Beware the "Me Monster!"

This skit by Brian Regan is a humorous look at the sin of self-glorification.  At one time or another most of us have probably struggled with the "me monster."  If you haven't, God bless you, but I find that I struggle with it quite a bit.

Luke 14:1-14 sheds light on how to deal with the issue of  self-glorification.  The focus on self blinds us, it causes us to focus on our own honor at the expense of others, and it robs us of eternal rewards.

There are at least three things to which a focus on our selves blinds us:

•  The focus on self blinds us to the needs of others.  There is a man at the party who suffered from dropsy, a disease that caused swelling.  Yet, none of the guests were concerned with his well being, because they were too busy clamoring for position.

•  The focus on self blinds us to the work of God.  No one rejoices when Jesus heals the man (with the probable exception of the man himself).  They look on with disinterest or anger (the Scripture does not tell us in this instance, but we know from other events in Jesus' ministry that disinterest or anger were how the Pharisees often responded to Jesus' Sabbath day healings). God worked mightily through Jesus to bring about this healing, but no seemed aware of it.

• The focus on self blinds us to reality.  Jesus chastises the crowd for their hard-heartedness when he asks them, "Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on the Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?"  If the law makes provision for doing these kinds of good deeds on the Sabbath day, doesn't that logically extend to the healing of an injured person?  Jesus knew that none of those present would question the rightness of helping their child out of the well on the Sabbath even though they were angry that he help this man escape the illness of dropsy on the Sabbath. 

Self-glorification had eclipsed everything else in their lives.  Not only had it left them blind, but self-glorification has caused them to seek their own honor in a way that brought dishonor.

• By pressing to be honored, these people dishonored God.  As they were clamoring for the seats of honor (Luke 14:7), they ignored the fact that Jesus was present.  Although those present at this gathered do not appear to understand who Jesus truly was (and is), they were well aware of the fact that he was a unique teacher, a miracle worker, and that he was esteemed by the crowds as a prophet.  As such, he should have been awarded the seat of honor, and his friends should have been extended honor as well.  But the host and his other guests willfully chose to ignore Jesus and his disciples.  By rejecting God's anointed, Jesus, they dishonored God.

• By pressing to be honored, these people dishonored others.  They not only ignored Jesus and his disciples, they seemingly ignored each other as well.  Verse seven makes it seem like everyone (but Jesus and his disciples) were fighting to have the best seats.  They were not esteeming each other as better than themselves.  Their behavior appears rude and childish, just like person in the Brian Regan clip.

• By pressing to be honored, these people multiplied their chances at humiliation.  By seeking their own honor they actually increased their chances of being dishonored.  Jesus teaches them that taking the most important seat could lead to them being asked to move.  Jesus warns, "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Luke 14:11).

Self-glorification not only brings dishonor, but loss of eternal reward.  When individuals focus on self they rob themselves of eternal rewards.

• Jesus warned against serving others who could serve us in return.  Individuals who seek to please God should not serve to be served.  The host of this party had filled his guest list with those who could return the favor.  He knew for his one feast, he would be invited to several others.  So his generosity was really fueled by his greed.

• Jesus said we should serve those who can't return the favor.  True generosity is an imitation of our gracious Father in heaven.  This kind of generosity pleases the Father, because it reflects his glory.  He responds to such generosity with a gracious outpouring of blessing. 

Here are three things we can do to slay the me monster within us:

• We must shift our focus from ourselves, and focus on Jesus.  We need to really know Jesus. This means we need to read about him.  The Gospels are a good place to start, but we should not neglect the rest of the New Testament or the Old Testament.  We need to pray to the Father in Jesus' name.  We need to pray to Jesus.  By the indwelling Spirit, Jesus is always present with us.  We need to converse with him.  We need to meditate on his person and his work.  As we draw closer to him, our hearts and minds will more closely reflect his own.

• We need to cultivate humility.  Understanding two things will aid us in this process.  First, we have to understand who God is.  We need a good understanding of God's holiness and his grace.  Second, we have to understand who we are.  We need a good understanding of our own sinfulness and rebellious nature.  If we understand these two things, we will grow in humility.

• We need to serve others to the glory of God.  We have seen that the tendency toward self-glorification blinds us to the needs of others and the work of God.  We have also seen that it causes us to dishonor God and our fellow human beings.  Thus, to combat this monster, we must follow in the steps of Jesus and serve others to the glory of God.  We shouldn't meet their needs so that they will praise us, but so that God will be praised.

The me monster is a hard one to kill, but if we will continually apply these three principles, in faith, we will experience victory.

What about you?  Do you struggle with the me monster? What are some of the ways you fight self-glorification in your life?