Ep. 1293: Am I Playing the Social Status Game?

Theme Scripture: Matthew 20:27-28

It is a natural human response to want to be recognized for who we are and for what we contribute. This is easy to observe. Just look at a small child who does something to be helpful or obedient. When their parent recognizes and praises their behavior, their face beams with delight! While it is positive and nurturing to praise growth and maturity, we also need to be wary. As with anything else that provokes goodness in our sinful world, the simplicity of building another up can be misrepresented and funneled into the ever-growing competition for status among our peers. Now it’s no longer about building up, it is all about establishing our place in the pecking order and fighting our way to be higher up on that ladder. This is NOT a new phenomenon as the Bible has MUCH to say about avoiding it!