Sermon Central
-
Poor I-Sight
Contributed by Josh Hunt on Jan 23, 2013 (message contributor)
POOR I-SIGHT
We suffer from poor I-sight. Not eyesight, a matter of distorted vision that lenses can correct, but I-sight. Poor I-sight blurs your view, not of the world, but of yourself.
Some see self too highly. Maybe it's the PhD or pedigree. A tattoo can do it; so can a new truck or the Nobel Peace Prize. Whatever the cause, the result is the same. "I have so many gifts. I can do anything."
Brazenly self-assured and utterly self-sufficient, the I-focused have long strutted beyond the city limits of self-confidence and entered the state of cockiness. You wonder who puts the "air" in arrogance and the "vain" in vainglory? Those who say, "I can do anything."
You've said those words. For a short time, at least. A lifetime, perhaps. We all plead guilty to some level of superiority.
And don't we also know the other extreme: "I can't do anything"?
Forget the thin air of pomposity; these folks breathe the thick, swampy air of self-defeat. Roaches have higher self-esteem. Earthworms stand taller. "I'm a bum. I am scum. The world would be better off without me."
Divorce stirs such crud. So do diseases and job dismissals. Where the first group is arrogant, this group is diffident. Blame them for every mishap; they won't object. They'll just agree and say, "I can't do anything."
Two extremes of poor I-sight. Self-loving and self-loathing. We swing from one side to the other. Promotions and demotions bump us back and forth. One day too high on self, the next too hard on self. Neither is correct. Self-elevation and self-deprecation are equally inaccurate. Where is the truth?
Smack-dab in the middle. Dead center between "I can do anything" and "I can't do anything" lies "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13).
Neither omnipotent nor impotent, neither God's MVP nor God's mistake. Not self-secure or insecure, but God-secure -- a self-worth based in our identity as children of God. The proper view of self is in the middle.
[Lucado, M. (2012). Life to the full: 3-in-1 featuring. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.]
Related Sermon Illustrations
-
Tony Evans Says, "If You Limit Worship To Where ... PRO
Contributed by Mike Hamilton on Apr 29, 2003
Tony Evans says, “If you limit worship to where you are, the minute you leave that place of worship you will leave your attitude of ...read more
-
One Time A New Pastor Came To A Church, And He ... PRO
Contributed by Brian La Croix on Jan 17, 2005
One time a new pastor came to a church, and he preached a sermon that the people just loved. It was perfect in that it discussed just the right things. The next week he preached the same sermon, and while the congregation enjoyed it, they were a little confused that he gave the same sermon ...read more
-
A Mother's Touch
Contributed by Bruce Howell on May 1, 2005
“A Mother’s Touch” A wounded soldier returned from Viet Nam. He was in critical condition. He was blind, his mind was clouded, and his body was mangled. His mother traveled over 2,000 miles to be by his bedside. As soon as she entered the hospital room she laid her hands on his brow without ...read more
-
The Story Goes That Mark Twain Loved To Go ... PRO
Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jun 12, 2005
The story goes that Mark Twain loved to go fishing, but he hated to catch fish. The problem was he went fishing to relax, and catching fish ruined his relaxation, since he had to take the fish off the hook and do something with it. When he wanted to relax by doing nothing, people thought he was ...read more
-
There Is A Moving Scene In The Movie Dr. Zhivago ... PRO
Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jun 12, 2005
There is a moving scene in the movie Dr. Zhivago where the Comrade General is talking with Tanya about a traumatic experience in her childhood. He asks her, “How did you come to be lost?” She replies, “Well, I was just lost.” But he persists and asks again, “No, how did you come to be lost?” ...read more
Related Sermons
-
Resultados De Un Encuentro Con Dios
Contributed by Raquel Martinez on Mar 5, 2011
Cuando tienes un encuentro con Dios, habran cambios en tu vida. No podemos tener una experiencia con Dios y seguir siendo igual.
-
Mine-Mine-Mine All Mine (The Meaning Behind The Parable Of The Rich Fool)
Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Jul 28, 2016
I hope that this Message brings new insight to the Parable of The Rich Fool. Only in Jesus can we come to the place of "Euphraino" That is a time and a place to Rejoice.
-
The Power Of Belonging
Contributed by Jimmy Seibert on Jul 8, 2014
You've got to say no to self and yes to Jesus to enter into all that He has for you.
-
What Jesus Said About Self Love Series
Contributed by Denn Guptill on Jun 10, 2012
Too often we are taught that it is wrong to love ourselves but is that really what the bible teaches?
-
The Blessing Of Brokenness Series
Contributed by C. Philip Green on Feb 10, 2021
If you want to be truly blessed and be a blessing to others, let God break you of your self-sufficiency and sin.
