Righteouness and self-righteouness

Righteousness is simply adhering to a set of moral principles; a moral compass. It begins when you have your sins forgiven, but that is just the first step. If you don't take positive, proactive steps to follow God's law rather than man's law, you cannot be considered righteous.

Self-righteousness is a more difficult problem to deal with because it it is a form of self-deception. It is a problem of attitude instead if action. It's not so much what you do as what you believe. You develop a false opinion of yourself. When we judge others to be not worthy of our lofty standards of behavior or correct, judge or complain about others, these are signs of self-righteousness.

It's becomes all about the "me" in "me". Using oneself as an example of model behavior is a form of self-centeredness. We see it in those who purport to follow the letter of the law with great pride and boastfulness but do not have the wisdom to apply the law properly or in its spirit.

True righteousness requires obedience but it also requires submission. If your obedience is based on standards of human nature you are bound to fall into the path of self-centeredness and self-righteousness. In faith--the hope for things which are not seen but are true--you will walk the path of true righteousness.

Gamesmanship, bad sportsmanship and cheating spring from a self-centered, self-righteous standard or moral code. Time to see the light.

"There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins" - Ecclesiastes 7:20

If there is one thing we've learned from the headlines of the past couple of years in sports it is that athletes may be worthy of admiration--at times great admiration-- but not idolatry. And they are poor choices to be role models.

Sportswriters write about people they tend to admire. They gush on and on about the exploits of their chosen ones and try to convince us why they are a superior breed.
They convince us that these guys are worthy of idolatry on the way up. But human nature causes the "chosen ones" to eventually to succumb to human frailties and have to be torn down, ironically by the same pack of wolves that built them up. And then the search goes on for a new chosen one. The cycle perpetuates itself. Fans are left on a constant roller coaster of emotions.

RIGHTEOUSNESS - Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. - Matthew 5:6

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." - Luke 18-14