Recovering from Spiritual Narcissism – Part 4
A common problem among narcissists is judging others. It goes something like this: some Christian does something wrong, or just something the narcissist does not like. He immediately thinks in his mind how awful that person is, and tries to avoid him because that “sinner” is condemned. He would never try to approach the sinner and talk to him about his behavior. He tells himself, “I am so much more righteous because I don’t do that.” He feels validated. He believes this is proof of righteousness, but he isn’t righteous or spiritual at all; he is motivated by the flesh, and the flesh’s desire to justify and preserve self. The spiritual narcissist also fails to deal with his own sins such as lust, greed, gluttony, anger, envy, and pride. The whole project of judging is about putting the spotlight on another, so that the narcissist doesn’t have to take ownership of his own problems. He isn’t righteous because he does not repent of his sins. Jesus taught against this kind of hypocritical judging in Matthew 7:1-5:
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”
God bless you, and I love you.
Kevin Cauley