Pet Peeve! This one just irks me!

[Scott]

I cannot describe how much I am bothered, irked, ticked off and angered by Holier than thou attitudes in the Christian Community.

People who seem to live their Christian life to be better than other Christians. They are IN YOUR FACE with how much they pray, tithe, attend church, worship and "live for God''! I am not talking about genuine prayer, worship, tithing, church attendence, and living for God, but doing all that and bragging about it.  I am talking about those who insist on talking ''Church-ese" all the time so that you know how "spiritual" they are!

Examples (Real People, Names Changed):

Gertrude: She is a nice lady, I've had dinner in her house, she has always treated my kids great and she drives everyone nuts, including her husband and her kids.

She will stand to testify in church (doesn't attend our church) and for 10 to 15 minutes all you hear is how holy she is, how much she prays, how she sacrifices to Tithe, how much she reads the bible and how good of a Christian she is.   She has been known to stand up in church and ask the church to pray for her husband because does not pray as much as she does.  To hear her talk, her walk with God is all about her.

Ted: Like Gertie, this guy is all about himself and how good of a christian he is - he takes it one step further and talks in a special language that even church people don't understand him.


Conversation:

"Hi Ted, how are you"

Ted: Bless beyond compare - God is soo Good to me, I cannot begin to explain it. In fact the blessings of the Lord are so bountiful that words cannot begin to describe.

"Okay Ted, have a good day and behave"

Ted: Oh, I always behave (He pauses and looks pius) because (he points to heaven) he insists and I always obey him!

His lady friend started picking up on this attitude and this is a conversation she had with a minister


Minister: "Hi Sister Aggie, this is the big week, my daughter is marrying your son and we need to discuss the wedding, reception and all that stuff"

Aggie: "Oh Brother, we cannot do that, that would be Gossping and as Christians we cannot do that. If we talk about people for any reason, we are gossiping"

Minister: "Sister this is your son's wedding we are talking about!"

Aggie: "I am determined to know nothing among you, save Christ and him Crucified"

Minister:  Again, YOUR son, HIS wedding, YOUR Son!

Aggie: You want me to gossip?

Minister: Get your head out of the clouds and plant your feet on solid ground!

When Ted and Aggie broke up, she realized how weird she had been acting and has come back to the planet earth.

Rufus:

I have two of thes guys on my Facebook page, one guy I've hidden his posts and the other guy I am considering hiding his posts. Each one of their FB Friends are in church  - yet each and every FB post they make is an attempt to convert them or to build themselves up as Super Christian!

We are not talking about putting in a nice Quote from a Minister, a book or an article just to share. But phrases lifting themselves up rather than Christ.

Rufus the Elder yesterday kept posting the same self promoting religious statement yesterday all day. It was all about him and how much of a Christian he is, and not about Jesus!


Marge:

I love this girl - I've known her since she was about 8 years old and my wife taught her in Sunday School.  She is married, 3 kids and Married to a preacher.  Her parents are great people, I mentored her brother when he was a teenager; but she drives me nuts with her Holier than thou attitude.

According to her, if you take your kids to church (like she does), to Sunday School (Like she does), pray for them (Like she does), teach them about God (LIke she does), teach the word of God (like she does) and raise them right (like she does) - your kids will never have problems.

According to her Attention Deficit Disorders, Educational Disorders, Emotional Disorders, Chemical imbalances, and anything disorder that is not a bad back or limb is because you have not trained or raised your kids properly in the word of God.

If you were like her and raised your sons with the word of God, they will never have a violent Thought (She must read a different bible than I read)

When a friend died, rather than give the spouse an "I'm so sorry, I will be pryaing for you" - she wrote (on F B ) for all to see - that the MOMENT she finished typing she was "Dropping to her Knees" to pray for that person. She is about the dramatic presentation of her!

I can go on and on, but I won't!

God wants YOU to worship HIM! Not for  gain, not for profit, not for praise, not for Glory, not for fame, but because he loves you.

Our walk with God is just that, a walk with God! We don't need to tell people how good we are, how much of a Christian we are nor how holy we are. We need to be real, to be honest, to be the best that we can be without making it about us.

Ananias and his wife Sapphira were all about themselves. They sold property and made a big deal that they were giving ALL to the Lord, when in reality they were not. Yes they lied to the Holy Spirit and paid the price, but part of what they did was build themselves up in the eyes of man, made themselve to be Holier than they actually were.

We need to be careful not to be Ananias and Sapphira's - don't say one thing and be another. Don't ''advertise'' to be what we ain't. We can get so caught up in the "Super Christian" competition that we will end up acting like a Pharisee!

It is okay get mad once in a while - the bible tells us to be angry and sin not.

It is okay to get really angry and wrathful, the bible tells us to not let the sun set on our wrath.

Maybe you had a temper Tantrum last week - pray about it and get over it -  the bible tells us to not let the sun set on our wrath.

When you are fasting, don't broadcast it, you don't need to stand and testify that you get up at 5am everyone morning to pray, you don't need to tell everyone that you wish they prayed as much as you do,  don't judge people based on your performance as a Christian. Don't Brag about your bible reading accomplishments. (If your church has a b.r.e.a.d contest, that is a different situation)

Don't be afaid to be real, to be normal, to be a person - a living, breathing human being with faults, problems and illnesses. People will like you better, you will be a better witness for Christ and your reputation will be better. Remember "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches" (Proverbs 22:1)

[Lynx]

Quote for the day:  "Modesty is the art of drawing attention to whatever it is you're being humble about."

Alternative QFTD:  "I'm very humble, and I want you to know I'm right proud of my humility."

[Melody]

I had a temper tantrum yesterday and posted something not so nice.  I think I have a "right" to be upset but it wasn't profitable to rant about it... lol  I had to go back and delete it before it started something.  Trying to be super holy makes people look super carnal.