Blessed is the man who does not sit in the seat of scoffers...
- Psalm 1:1
The Psalmist has taken us on a spiritual marathon: “walk, stand,” and now “sit.”
The Psalmist gives us a three-act play, from wicked to sinner, to scoffer — from activity to passivity. Such is the life of the damned.
The blessed man does not “sit in the seat with scoffers.”
A seat is a place of deliberation. It is a place of judgment.
Men are seated on high so that they can render decisions.
Men are seated on high so that they can scoff, gossip, and exert cynicism.
They are sitting because no one can stand or “sit” above them.
Those who “sit with scoffers” are what Charles Spurgeon called “Doctors of Damnation.”
Too often, I feel that I am damning instead of healing.
I find myself in the seat of a scoffer, a “doctor of damnation” looking down on everyone around me.
Where does this heart of arrogance come from? It comes from me being a glory junky— I am addicted to the pursuit of self-glory.
Success. Popularity. Knowledge. Recognition. All things that make me better than you.
In my heart, I've rejected Proverbs 3:7, Romans 12:3, and Philippians 2:3-4.
Arrogance is a tricky thing.
Not only does our nature predisposition us towards arrogance, but our culture fosters it as well— there's no shortage of encouragement to believe that we can live our lives independent of God.
Thus, we actively fight our arrogance if we're going to grow in our dependence on God.
Moment by moment and day by day, we must engage in practices that help us kill the arrogance in us.
Here are five things you can do to fight an arrogant attitude:
1. Be transparent about your shortcomings and struggles to fight the urge to create an image of perfection fueled by pride.
2. Even before being confronted, ask for forgiveness from someone you've wronged, whether it was through thought, speech, or action.
3. Ask for others to pray for you in an area you're struggling in.
4. Privately and publicly praise others with specifics details; explain both what they did that you appreciated and how you're thankful for who that shows they are.
5. When you go to bed, thank God for any good he enabled you to do through the opportunities he provided and offer any praise you received as a gift to him.
Your prayer today, “God, less of me, more of you.”
Press on,
Pastor Chris
