5 warning signs of a "holier than you" attitude

Self-criticism, sneaky, sanctuary: people with this type of attributes typically have an attitude of belief that they are better than most, if not all. This is a person with a more holy attitude than you. Some may believe that this is due to the fact that a person does not know Jesus personally or has a relationship with God, while others may say that some, once they become Christians, begin to cultivate an attitude according to which others are below them, especially those of unbelievers.

The phrase, holier than you, can generally be used to describe this type of person, but what does it mean to be holier than you? And once you know what it means to be holier than you, could you really show this behavior and not realize it?

As we learn what it means to act holier than you, we will also see some classic examples of this personality within the pages of the Bible, even shared in one of Jesus' most recognizable parables which shows the difference between self-righteousness and humility. Perhaps by learning these facts, we can all evaluate ourselves and determine the areas in which we carry more sacred attitudes than we need to change.

How does the "Bible is holier than you" in the Bible?

Not much is found about how the holiest term was created, but according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the term was first used in 1859 and means "marked by an air of piety or superior morality". The words used at the beginning of this article are secondary words to define the characteristics of believing that you are more superior than the others.

The most valuable resource for learning to show a holier attitude than you are in the Word of God. The Bible is full of examples of those who lived humble lives alongside those who lived lives believing that God had blessed them more than others.

There were many examples of people describing authoritative behavior in the Bible: King Solomon, who had great wisdom but arrogantly chose to have many foreign wives who led him down the wrong path in worshiping other gods; the prophet Jonah, who refused to go to Nineveh to help save his people and then argued with God that it was not worth saving them.

Who could forget the Sanhedrin, which notoriously provoked the crowd to go against Jesus because he did not like that he was emphasizing his self-esteem; or the apostle Peter, who said he would not turn his back on Jesus, only to do exactly as the Savior had foretold in times of need.

Jesus knew well the traps that a more holy attitude than you would have on a person, exemplifying him in his memorable parable, "The Pharisee and the tax collector", in Luke 18: 10-14. In the parable, a Pharisee and a tax collector went to the temple to pray one day, with the Pharisee in the first place: "God, thank you that they are not like other men - extortionists, unrighteous, adulterers, or even as this collector tax. . Fasting twice a week; I give a tithe of everything I own. "When it was time to talk about the tax collector, he didn't look up but clapped his chest and said," God, have mercy on me a sinner! " The parable ends with Jesus who says that the man who humbles himself would be exalted by God, while the man who exalts himself would be humbled by God.

God did not create each of us to feel that the others were inferior, but that we are all made in his image and with our personalities, abilities and gifts to be used as elements of the eternal plan of God. When we launch what we have in front of others, we could even throw it in front of God, because it is a slap in the face to the One who loves everything and does not play favorites.

Even today, God is still letting us know when we have believed too much in our hype and usually uses tactics to humiliate us to make us aware of this behavior.

To avoid these lessons, I have compiled a list of five warning signs that you (or someone you know) may express a more holy attitude than you. And, if it's someone you know, you may want to rethink how to let the person know so that you don't expose yourself to a more holy attitude than yours.

1. You think you have to save someone / everyone
As followers of Christ, we all have a desire to help those around us who need help of some kind. However, sometimes people will feel they need to help others in view of others, even if that person can help themselves. The belief could be that they are unable to help themselves or that only you can help them because of skill, knowledge or experience.

But if helping someone is just to make the person and your colleagues see you as worthy of applause and recognition, then you are showing yourself with a holier attitude than your being a savior for someone you considered "less fortunate". If you were to offer help to someone, don't make it a show or say something humiliating like "Oh, I know you need help," but ask them in private, if possible, or as an open suggestion like, "If you need help, I'm available."

2. Compare yourself with others as you wouldn't do this or that
This could be the classic example of showing a more holy attitude than you, as many can attest to seeing it as the common attitude of judgment or pride that people have shown and, unfortunately, it is a common problem among some Christians. It is usually noticeable when people say they would never do something or look like someone because they have higher standards than they do.

Their self-esteem makes them believe that they could not fall into temptation or make bad decisions in any way that would lead them on the same path as the person in question. But if true, we wouldn't need a Savior who died for our sins. So if you are inclined to talk like this when someone shares their problems with you, or when you learn about the difficulties someone is going through, stop before saying, "I would never ..." because you could be in the same situation at any time. .

3. Feel that you have to follow certain criteria or be obsessive about the law
This is a sort of double warning sign, as it can apply to those who are still trying to follow the Old Testament guidelines that will make us more worthy of God, of the Law, or to follow any type of criteria to make us more deserving gifts, blessings or titles. The Sanhedrin comes to mind with the warning sign of obsession with the Law, as those of the Sanhedrin felt they were the only ones touched by God to support and execute the Law among others.

This can also be expressed in any type of criterion that people want to follow, as there will be some who feel they are the only ones who can support the criteria compared to those they cannot. However, when it comes to the Law, Jesus' death and resurrection have allowed everyone to be accepted by God without having to follow the Law (although he is still encouraged to follow aspects of the Law in honor of God). Knowing this truth, this should encourage people to live more like Jesus than those who have followed only the Law, because the mentality of Jesus sees everyone as children of God and it is worth saving them.

4. Believe that you could be or be your Jesus
This is what could be related to the faith of prosperity, where if you pray for something for a certain period of time, and you desire it enough, you will see that it will happen. This is a dangerous warning sign of a more holy attitude than yours because it is believing that you are your own Jesus, or even a controller of God, as you can make certain things happen in your life, avoiding other things (such as cancer , death or offensive actions of others). Some Christians have found themselves in this belief time and time again, believing that God would not reject certain blessings from them or bring sadness and difficulties into their lives.

What we have to realize is that if God sent his son to die horribly on the cross to bring salvation to others, why should we assume that we would never experience struggles and seasons of waiting just because we are born again Christians? With this change in mentality, we will understand that we cannot prevent certain aspects of life from happening just because we have prayed hard to stop or start it. God has a plan for everyone and that plan will be for our improvement and growth, regardless of whether or not we desire certain blessings.

5. Being blinded by the needs of others because of concentration on the self
Contrary to the first warning sign, the fifth warning sign to show a holier attitude than you are one in which people feel that their problems must be managed first or all the time, before they can help someone else. It is considered a holier warning sign than yours because it is showing your belief that what is happening in your life is much more important than others, almost as if they could not face the same difficulties you are facing.

If you feel that you are starting to focus only on your problems, intentionally or because you have a more holy attitude than you, take a moment to think about what the person is going through in front of you or even what is going on in the lives of your family and your friends. Talk to them and listen to what they share, as as you listen to them, you will start to see that the anxieties about your problems decrease a little. Or, use your problems as a way to relate to each other and maybe they can offer advice to help you with what you're going through.

Looking for humility
We live in a world where it is easy to slip into having a more holy attitude than you, especially when you are a Christian and become more Pharisee than tax collector from Jesus' parable. However, there is hope of being freed from the clutches of an attitude holier than you, even when you don't see you've adopted one. By taking note of the warning signs offered in this article, you can see how you (or someone you know) started showing superior feelings about others and ways to stop this behavior on its trail.

Ignoring a more holy attitude than yours means that you can see yourself and others in a more humble light, in need of Jesus not only to take away our sins, but to show us a way of loving those around us in brotherly and sister love . We are all children of God, created with different purposes in mind and when we see how a more holy attitude than yours can blind us to that truth, we begin to realize the dangers of it and how it distances us from others and from God.