You Think You're Better Than Me?

When I was a freshman in college, I went to a lot of parties. I just went to socialize. I didn't drink or do drugs. I didn't even hit on girls. I just wanted to hang with my friends and band-mates.

I remember one party particularly well. I had been offered beer for what was probably the fifteenth time that night and, as usual, I respectfully declined. The guy who offered the beer to me was at least five years older than me and wasted out of his mind.

He looked at me, all confused and concerned, and murmured, "What... You don't drink?"
"No."
"Well, what are you doing at this party?"
"I'm just hanging out, having a good time."
"So, what? You think that just because you don't drink, and I'm drunk, that you're better than me?"
"No. Not at all. I just don't drink. That's my choice."
"Well, I respect that."

And then he kinda stumbled away to harass someone else.

But it got me thinking. Do I think I'm better than anyone else? That's a question that has kept me in check over the past several years. Because, whenever I start feeling like I'm more special or more important or more useful than anyone else, God has this way of bringing me back to reality. He usually begins by showing me all the things I'm not getting right. Then He shows me people who have it together better than I, which reminds me I have a long way to go to reach the perfection He has called me to. But then He takes it a step further and shows me other people who are struggling more than I could ever imagine. And then, the final nail in the coffin, He shows me people who are lost; people who don't know Jesus, or worse, people who have no desire to know Jesus.

So, do I think I'm better than anyone else? How could I when Jesus loves us all the same, which is so much more than we could ever know? No, I don't think I'm better than anyone else. I think I'm blessed to have a great family, wonderful friends, and steady work. I'm blessed to have a roof over my head, food on my table, and clothes on my back. And I'm blessed more than anything to have the relationship with God that I do, but I'm no better than you or any other person on the planet.

Peace, Love, and Chocolate