God Wants Us to Submit Our Arrogance
(from the Book of James)
 How Many of You Know Someone Who is Arrogant?
A guy driving a Yugo pulls up at a stoplight next to a Rolls-Royce. The driver of the Yugo rolls down his window and shouts to the driver of the Rolls, 'Hey, buddy, that's a nice car. You got a phone in your Rolls? I've got one in my Yugo!' The driver of Rolls looks over and says simply, 'Yes I have a phone.' The driver of the Yugo says, 'Cool! Hey, you got a fridge in there, too? I've got a fridge in the back seat of my Yugo!' The driver of the Rolls, looking annoyed, says, 'Yes, I have a refrigerator.' The driver of the Yugo says, 'That's great, man! Hey, you got a TV in there, too? You know, I got a TV in the back seat of my Yugo!' The driver of the Rolls, looking very annoyed by now, says, 'Of course I have a television. A Rolls-Royce is the finest luxury car in the world!' The driver of the Yugo says, 'Very cool car! Hey, you got a bed in there too? I got a bed in the back of my Yugo!' Upset that he did not have a bed, the driver of the Rolls-Royce sped away, and went straight to the dealer, where he promptly ordered that a bed be installed in the back of the Rolls. The next morning, the driver of the Rolls picked up the car, and the bed looked superb, with satin sheets and brass trim. It was clearly a bed fit for a Rolls Royce. So the driver of the Rolls begins searching for the Yugo, and he drove all day. Finally, late at night, he finds the Yugo parked, with all the windows fogged up from the inside. The driver of the Rolls got out and knocked on the Yugo. When there wasn't any answer, he knocked and knocked, and eventually the owner stuck his head out, soaking wet. 'I now have a bed in the back of my Rolls-Royce,' the driver of the Rolls stated arrogantly. The driver of the Yugo looked at him and said, 'You got me out of the shower to tell me THAT?!?!'
 Psalm 21:34
Wicked people are controlled by their conceit and arrogance, and this is sinful
Most of us want nothing to do with people who are arrogant. We see them throughout our culture. Sometimes we laugh at them and sometimes we actually praise their arrogance (often in the sporting world arrogance and self confidence are seen as virtues). But most of us have a friend or two who we recognize as being arrogant and find ourselves uncomfortable with.
Proverbs 28:25
An arrogant man stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper
Arrogance is all about TRUST! An arrogant person will only trust his or her own opinion and will never take guidance or direction from others unless they happen to agree! Often, arrogance prevents us from trusting others altogether… Many people, when asked about why it is difficult to trust someone, will tell you that it is a matter of control. We like to be in control of our lives and we are sometimes hesitant to trust others and risk the possibility that we will not be able to do exactly as we please.
My Life, My Problems
It’s your life, and your life comes with it’s own set of problems. When it comes to taking charge of my life, I have to admit that I like to be in control. Well, God has something to tell us about our desire to plan and control:
James 4:13 to 4:16
Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.' As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.
Why do you think it is hard for us to let go of our desire to be in control of our own lives? Is it because an uncertain future is frightening to us, or simply because we like the power?
I spent most of my life thinking that I was in control and planning for the future. I started by thinking I would have a career in music, playing in a band. I liked the idea that I would be in control of my life and my time. God had other plans and closed many doors that would have led me into a music career. Instead I ended up in the arts and architecture. It was something I did not initially want to do, because the commitment to education was definitely scary for me. But I made plans to become an architect and I liked the idea that I would have the power and control to create things. God once again took my plans and turned my direction toward his plans. I emended up in the Police academy! I was once again frightened by the commitment to training that this would require, but eventually become comfortable with the level of power and control I attained in this career. But God was not done with me. He eventually closed doors again and led me to ministry. If you would have asked me as a boy, I would never have recognized the plans that God had for me. They were not the same as my plans at all. But God is far more powerful than I am and he can comfort us when we are scared…
Psalm 56:3,4
When I get really afraid I come to you in trust. I’m proud to praise God; fearless now, I trust in God. What can mere mortals do?
Psalm 75:4,5
And to the wicked you say, “Don’t boast of your power! Stop bragging! Quit telling me how great you are.'
When you think you are in control, you really have no need for God
My Life Lived His Way
Ready for a change? Want to try living life the way that God designed it to be lived? The first key to controlling your arrogance is to understand that God is in control.
Hiding the Failure
We don’t like to think of ourselves as arrogant, but in fact, we are. And you can see this clearly when you think about our reluctance to admit any guilt or wrong doing! But admitting our mistakes is the first step to seeing ourselves at the same level as others, and that is an important step to take in our relationship with God.
Matthew 23:12
If you put yourself above others, you will be put down, but if you humble yourself, you will be honored
I’ve interview hundreds of suspects for all kinds of crimes, from petty theft to murder. Very few of these suspects ever wanted to admit they had done wrong. In fact, almost all of them started by declaring their innocence. But over time, as I talk and interrogated them, they eventually admitted the truth. It’s incredibly hard for us to see ourselves for who we really are. You and I may not see ourselves as guilty as a murderer, but we still need to see ourselves as the sinners we are. You and I HAVE DONE WRONG! And God is waiting for us to admit that…
Jeremiah 8:6
I listen carefully, but none of you admit that you've done wrong
My Life, My Problems
When it comes to my arrogance, I also have to say that I hate to admit that I am wrong. God has some great advice about this issue:
James 4:7 to 4:10
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
Why is it so hard to admit that we are sinners? Is it because we are so ashamed of what we have done, or is it because we don’t believe that we truly are sinners?
I love the old fashion courtroom shows like Perry Mason and Matlock, don’t you? I love it because there is always a final courtroom scene where Mason or Matlock reveal the truth about the bad guy. He’s sitting there on the stand, lying for a while and then eventually when the truth is revealed, he confesses to it all in front of everyone! Meanwhile all the other people in the courtroom sit there as though this guy is the only guilty person in the entire place. Of course that’s not true. Everyone else in there, from the defense attorney to the prosecutor to the judge himself, are also guilty of some themselves, and are just a s reluctant to confess it. But God has something to tell us about His desire for us to confess our sin:
Leviticus 5:5
As soon as you discover that you have committed any of these sins, you must confess what you have done.
Leviticus 26:40 to 26:42
If you humbly confess what you have done and start living right, I'll keep the promise I made to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
Ezra 10:11
Now you must confess your sins to the LORD God of your ancestors and obey him
Proverbs 28:13
If you don't confess your sins, you will be a failure. But God will be merciful if you confess your sins and give them up
1 John 1:9
But if we confess our sins to God, he can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away
God also has something to say to us about admitting that we are sinners:
Psalm 51:5
I have sinned and done wrong since the day I was born
Romans 5:12, 13
Adam sinned, and that sin brought death into the world. Now everyone has sinned, and so everyone must die
1 John 1:8
If we say that we have not sinned, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth isn't in our hearts
1 John 1:10
If we say that we have not sinned, we make God a liar, and his message isn't in our hearts
1 John 1:9
But if we confess our sins to God, he can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away
Clearly, you cannot develop a relationship with God until you see your own need, and confess your shortcomings to God.
My Life Lived His Way
Ready for a change? Want to try living life the way that God designed it to be lived? The second key to controlling your arrogance is to understand your fallen condition.
Judging Those Around Us
If we live a life of arrogance, we will inevitably find ourselves judging the people around us, and this too, will separate us from God…
Luke 6:37, 38
Jesus said: “don't judge others, and God won't judge you don't be hard on others, and God won't be hard on you. Forgive others, and God will forgive you.”
We love to see people being judged. Isn’t that why we love courtroom shows like “The People’s Court”, and “Judge Judy”? Let’s face it, while we are watching those shows, we are sitting there, passing our own judgment on the people on TV, and hoping that the judge will do the same!
My Life, My Problems
Finally when it comes to my arrogance, I also have to say that I like to judge others. But God calls us to be careful when we start to become judgmental!
James 4:11 to 4:12
Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you-who are you to judge your neighbor?
Why is it so easy for us to judge others? Is it because we think we are better than everyone else, or is it because our hearts are so small and incapable of loving others? Pray that God will help you see your own faults, and the fact that you are capable of the sins committed by others, or pray that God will grow in you a love for others that starts with true forgiveness. You will never learn to love until you first learn to see others before yourself…
My Life Lived His Way
Ready for a change? Want to try living life the way that God designed it to be lived? The last key to controlling your arrogance is to see your own sin.
Broken and Fragile
While we were at summer camp one year, we sang the song, “Holiness” and Lisa was leading us. Toward the very end we started singing the part of the song that deals with brokenness and Lisa observed that we were not quite focused. She stopped the song and asked us to really think about this issue of brokenness. Afterward, one of the girls in her small group admitted that she was not quite sure what the word “broken” really meant in the Christian life. God does want us to be broken before Him:
Psalm 51:17
The sacrifice you want is a broken spirit. a broken and repentant heart, o God, you will not despise
But what does that really mean? Paul refers to us as simple jars of clay, designed and crafted by the master potter himself. He gets all the credit and is the only one who can do any boasting. We may be beautiful, but we are fragile and easily broken. We are nothing compared to him. God is simply trying to get us to see that and to understand that we need to humble ourselves and realized what we are, compared to Him. Let’s look at some variations of Psalm 51:17 to get an idea of what brokenness means. All these translations try to get at the clear meaning of what God is telling us:
Psalm 51:17
The sacrifice you want is a broken spirit. a broken and repentant heart, o God, you will not despise. The way to please you is to feel sorrow deep in our hearts. This is the kind of sacrifice you won't refuse. My sacrifice is a humble spirit, O God; you will not reject a humble and repentant heart.
I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don't for a moment escape God's notice. You see, God-worship begins when self-worship ends.
What Would Happen If I Lived My Life the Way God Wanted Me to Live It?
Imagine a life in which you began to understand your own limitations and brokenness before God. It would be a life in which you worshipped God for the first time, and learned to depend on the potter instead of the jar… | 
