Fighting self-righteousness

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

THOSE gospel episodes where Christ bewailed the self-righteousness of the leading Jews of his time remind us that we really need to be aware of this common anomaly, called self-righteousness, and do everything to fight it.

Self-righteousness is a common disease since all of us have our share of pride and arrogance. We may not acknowledge it—a more insidious situation to be in since pride has tremendous blinding power—but we can fall into it from time to time, especially when we make rash judgments, easily jump to conclusions, stereotype people, making a habit of finding fault at others, etc.

What is worse is when it is not only quiet and secretive, but rather open and loud, and can even get physical, or when it defines the very character of a person. It is shown in the way he carries himself, how he looks at others, how he speaks and reacts to things. He oozes with over-self-confidence, with a tone of voice that cannot be other than bossy and strident.

The source of their problem are the gifts given to us, when we would not know how to handle them properly. Instead of being humbled by them and always aware that the gifts are meant for God’s glory and the good of others, we make these endowments a source of our pride. We become highly opinionated. We like to dominate any discussion. We would want always to have the last word.

We have to be most careful of this spiritual virus. The moment we see the slightest signs of its onset in us, we have to react immediately and strongly, deepening our humility and strengthening our desire to always glorify God and to be at the service of others.

We should reflect the attitude of Christ who said that “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mt 20,28) We have to learn how to pass unnoticed even as we are determined in carrying out our tasks and duties in life.

The awareness of our gifts or special charisms should also intensify the awareness of the great responsibility we have to fulfill because of them. Because of this, we should always feel the need to go to God, convinced that it can only be with him that we can do things properly. We should never think we can simply rely on our own powers.

And then let’s start to figure out how to reach out to others and serve them the way God wants them served through those God-given gifts. When we see a self-righteous bully, let’s pray for him and offer sacrifices for him, and do everything to help him discover his proper place and use his gifts rightly.

We should never think that our talents, gifts, blessings and other privileges and advantages we can have in life are a right to lord it over others, or to be proud and vain, or to expect more privileges. They are never meant to make us feel superior to others, turning us into conceited persons.

If ever, these things should only make us more aware of the greater responsibility we have to contribute to the common good. That consideration, which we should try to be with us always, should sober us and stop us from making fantastic, baseless ideas of ourselves.