The Hidden Competition
Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church
October 19th Sermon, Day 3
Sometimes the biggest obstacles to our spiritual growth aren't the obvious ones. It's not always money, success, or worldly pleasures that divide our hearts. Often, the most dangerous competitor for our devotion to God is something that looks spiritual on the surface: our own self-righteousness.
We can become so focused on maintaining our image—looking good to others, appearing to have it all together, being seen as the 'good Christian'—that we lose sight of our genuine need for God's grace. We carefully cultivate an external appearance while our hearts remain divided between serving God and serving our own reputation.
This was exactly what Jesus confronted in the religious leaders of His day. They were experts at looking clean on the outside while their hearts were far from God. They had mastered the art of external purity but missed the point entirely.
The danger of self-righteousness is that it makes us feel like we don't need God's cleansing power. We become satisfied with our external performance and stop pursuing the heart transformation that God desires. We start believing that our good deeds, church attendance, or moral behavior is what makes us acceptable to God.
But here's the beautiful truth: God isn't impressed by our carefully constructed image. He's looking for authenticity, humility, and a heart that recognizes its constant need for His grace. When we stop trying to impress others and start being honest about our struggles, we create space for God to work in our lives.
A pure heart is not a perfect heart—it's a humble heart that continually turns to God for cleansing and transformation.
Bible Verse
'Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.' - Matthew 23:25-26
Reflection Question
In what ways might you be more concerned with how others perceive your faith than with the genuine condition of your heart before God?
Quote But the biggest thing that competes with our devotion to God, really, it's our own self righteousness. It's our image on the outside that we so carefully cultivate for other people.
Prayer
Lord, forgive me for the times I've been more concerned with my image than with my heart. Help me to be honest about my struggles and to find my worth in Your love, not in others' approval. Cleanse me from the inside out. Amen.
