I am quite the big jerk deep down inside. Thank God I have a new nature now, but sometimes the old one starts kickin' real hard.
I lead a small youth group, and I also volunteer as senior staff at a summer camp. Sometimes I would look at those who are a few years younger than me and scoff at the mistakes they are making (a lot of it involves people of the opposite gender, ahem). Or I would secretly feel superior due to my magnificently superior Bible knowledge (which is not true, I barely know anything myself). I'm sure you can already see why this is so wrong. They are younger than me! I made the same mistakes, if not worse ones when I was that age! I was equally, or even more ignorant of the Bible when I was that age! Somehow I'm able to give myself a pass while everyone else must fit some sort of standard.
This is very...human. Most everyone has no problem giving themselves the pass on everything. After all, I am the most important human being in my life (because who else am I feeding 3 times a day?). And that's fine, to a degree, you are supposed to take good care of yourself. The problem I had was that I was allowing myself to make mistakes and grow, but when other people did the same, I looked down on them. And the worst part is, in a deep, dark corner of my heart, I enjoyed that, I didn't want them to ever improve. I wanted to be the best.
I hope you see just how terrible that is. Of course, I repented that mindset, and now I try my absolute best to help everyone on their journey. I want them to advance in their journey better than I did when I was at that stage. I want to help with my own experience. I want to hold them to a high standard, all while understanding the limitations of being human. Why? Because I realize that my life is not the be all end all, it's what God wants that is truly important. And God wants all His people to be holy, wise, and mature.
It may feel nice to be the smartest guy in the room, but as a smart Christian guy, you should realize that the other guys in the room are ONE BODY with you in Christ. The only legitimate way to be honored, is, well, to make sure everyone else is honored alongside you.
Even if someone was seriously sinning, you still have no right to look down upon them. You should do everything in your power to help them correct that behavior, which heavily involves pointing them to Jesus Christ. I love how in 1 Cor 6:9-11 Paul lists a list of sins that disqualifies people from the kingdom of God and then says "such were some of you". Another example is how The Lord instructs the Israelites to treat foreigners well because they themselves were once foreigners in a foreign land. Believers should not forget the state they were in before they were saved! We remember so we can give God the glory, but we also remember so we can empathize with others who sin, and come alongside them to help them as someone who understands their condition!
I'm sure this happens in many churches: Older, "more spiritual" people see the behavior (oftentimes sinful) of younger people and feel a sense of superiority. The "less superior" people sense this and recognize that they are being looked down upon. Thus begins a terrible conflict. I have seen way too many elderly people address younger people with that air of superiority both within and without the Church. It would be so much better if those who are farther along their spiritual journey would come alongside those who are struggling and help them. People farther along the journey would do well to pause and remember what it was like in their past and use that knowledge to help those who are just beginning their journey. This is a huge aspect of discipleship, and this is how the Church grows. This is, in part, how immature believers become mature, dependable believers.
We face a crisis today where some are leaving the church due to the "superiority complex" of "more spiritual" people. This is not good, this is a great evil. Instead of making ourselves feel better, let us begin making disciples.
A caveat: some people just refuse to be helped and refuse to grow. This is a real possibility. When this happens, and you've tried your best to encourage them without looking down, then it's best to leave it alone and pray. But still, you have no right to look down.
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