I remember that day as if it was yesterday.
It was my first year at university and I was slightly overwhelmed by all that university entailed.
It must have been the beginning of the year because I was sitting outside – alone – waiting to go back to class. I just really wanted to be alone for a few minutes to process the day.
But I guess that God had other plans.
Because out of my peripheral vision, I saw a young man approach me with intention.
And I immediately became a bit irritated because I had 10 minutes left of my break and I just wanted to be alone.

But he proceeded to talk to me and introduce himself.
“I noticed you sitting here by yourself and I was wondering if I could speak to you about something.”

My defences went right up and I sighed inwardly, but simultaneously maintained a smile on my face.
“Sure you may.” I replied, with as much friendliness in my tone that I could muster.
He went on to say that he is from a certain church and that he would love to encourage me.

Now, this is where I need to be completely honest with you.
Here I was in desperate need of encouragement and in walks a young man to offer me just that and what is my reaction?
I immediately thought, “Not one of those people again.”
I should just tell him that I am also a believer and that I don’t need any seeds of faith; I’m good.
I should tell him to go and spread the Gospel to other people who do not know God because I know Him and was hence in no need of an introduction.
I could probably teach him a thing or two about the Word as well.
Yep, my self-righteousness was shining through in all its might.
I say this not to get any sort of clout but to be honest – this was really my mind-set at the time.

Anyway, I obliged him and started sharing some of my struggles after which he proceeded to tell me about the story of Gideon.
“Do you know the story of Gideon?” He asked.
“Yes I do,” I replied, puffing my spiritual chest out a bit.
“Well then you should know that God sifted his army until they were ready for the battle. Do you know how many men were left in the army at the end of the story?”
That is when I went blank – I didn’t know.
I must’ve uttered some random number and the guy politely replied saying,
“No, it was 300.”

I was so embarrassed. Don’t get me wrong, it was not a big deal but I really wanted to show this guy that I knew the Word, I wanted to show him that he should go labour on less fertile ground. I wanted to display my “incredible bible knowledge” but instead, I was out-smarted.
It was only in retrospect that I realised that I had fallen into the self-righteous trap.

Self-righteousness is when you believe that you are the reason for your success, where you perceive yourself better than other people and when you don’t feel the need for help.
It is a common attitude of many young people who grew up in church – we think that because we have always been surrounded by doctrine that there is nothing that we don’t know and so naturally we are more qualified to teach and lead etc; which is extremely contradictory to the Word of God.

You see, I had lived a very protected Christian life and while I must admit that I don’t think that I ever completely allowed self-righteousness to lead my life, it was definitely still there, at the back of my mind, seeping into every area of my life.
Self-righteousness is a trap because you isolate yourself from so much – friendships, opportunities, revelations. It traps you into a mind-set of false superiority.
Self-righteous people never really learn or grow because they don’t allow themselves to associate with anything that they perceive to be beneath them or too foreign, and therefore their faith is never tested.
But when we come into the knowledge that God alone is righteous and that our righteousness comes from Him and Him alone, we take on the posture of humility because we realise that it is only by His amazing grace that we have access to salvation.

Another thing that is clear to me now was my inaccurate measurement of faith.
I was measuring my faith by how many scriptures I knew and the fact that I had come from a Christian home and even how often I prayed. Now, reading the word and prayer are all beneficial attributes to have as a believer but those things in and of them self are not what pleases God. It is our faith that pleases God. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6) – meaning, that nothing else besides my belief in Jesus will PLEASE God so I can follow every rule that has been presented to me, pray the most, read the word the most but if I do not believe in the source which is Jesus, I will not please God. If I measured my walk with God according to my old standards, I would still be doing it out of my own strength and my own efforts, displaying no reliance or acknowledgement on the price that Jesus paid for our sins.

As I have gotten older and spent more time in the presence of God, I have come to realise that to be a believer means to take a lowly place, to set ones heart to be a servant and not a king. Humility is a quality that I believe God truly honours. It took many more encounters with the Holy Spirit to realise that I am but clay in the hands of the Potter and that nothing that I do, could ever earn God’s amazing grace. So you see, I do not even have a right to be self-righteous for my righteousness is not mine in the first place.

I often ponder back on that day and thank God that He used that experience to teach me a valuable lesson.
Perhaps this post could be to you, what that lesson was to me.

Do not wander through this life thinking that you have it all figured out because the truth is – you don’t. Nobody does – but thankfully we have access to the one who does and His name is Jesus.

“22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,[ through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”

Romans 3:22-26