Self Importance

Luke 14:7-11 (NIV)

A woman came into my office and wanted some photos emailed to a "good friend" off her digital camera. That is an easy task, but not in my job description. I had a lot of work to do but my boss allowed me to help because the lady is a regular customer of ours. When she chose thirty shots and wanted me to send them all in one email I questioned if the receiver could handle the amount and talked her into letting me split the group up. I was impressed by the recipients email address, one of the better addressed in town. I thought, "This woman has important friends." She paid me more than what was necessary. It left me unsure of what to think.

In the morning I received a message that the emails were not received. I was concerned that it was either the wrong address or the attachments were too big. I wanted to make sure the photos were received because I was paid so much for the work. I decided to split the load up into five smaller emails and resent them. About two hours later I received a frantic call from the customer telling me to stop sending her "client" emails, I was annoying her. I told the lady what had happened and what I had done. She said I was crashing her "client's" computer.

After about what seemed like fifteen minutes of explaining how emails work I assure her I was not resending and resending emails. I suggested she tell the "client" to just let the emails run through and not keep shutting off her computer because this would start the process all over again. I explained to the customer I had been concerned about the size of the files and had questioned her. She backed off a bit. I was glad because she was really acting like I was harassing her "client".

About that time I received an email from the "client" asking me to stop. I was busy and a little annoyed with their ignorance, but compassionate. I knew they were both frantic. So when I had a chance to think about the problem I called the lady and told her to have the "client" block my email address and told her how to do that. End of problem. Well yes, but it did open up the can of worms I call "self importance."

Self importance is what can happen I believe when we pretend we are more important than we are. I really was lead to believe the recipient was a good friend of our customer. I thought the relationship was such that the receiver would not have been annoyed but understanding of her friend about all the emails. Our customer was frantic; she had annoyed an important person.

I think we all need the ability to laugh at ourselves. That evaporates when we turn on the pretense and turn up our self importance volume. We need to get over ourselves and have more self honesty.

Jesus addressed this when he talked about not taking a place of importance at the table. To avoid embarrassment we should take a lesser place and allow ourselves to be invited to a place of honor. I do not think Jesus was giving us a "how to not be embarrassed" lesson, but was addressing heart problems and focus. We can ask ourselves some questions. Are we focused on how people receive us? Or are we focused on the needs of others? Do we have a grasp of who we are in Christ and what this means? Do we recognize that God has placed us in the circumstances we are in for a purpose? Or do we question and doubt and want a different set of circumstances?

The problem is we tend to want to be more important than we are and it causes us to stumble. Gauging our position, our reputation, even our spiritual progress is something to be left in God's hands. Paul explains it like this;

"I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God." 1 Corinthians 4:3-5 (NIV)

We cannot even correctly judge ourselves. That is God's job. We are foolish when we give that right and job to others. When we become self concerned, we become self important and we veer from the path God asks us to follow. Solomon addressed this and in the conclusion of the book of Ecclesiastes points us to the correct path when he said...

Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.

For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.

Ecclesiastes 12: 13-14 (NIV)