The Temptation to Be Impressive

“The second temptation to which Jesus was exposed was the temptation to do something spectacular, something that would win him great applause. ‘Throw yourself from the parapet of the temple and let the angels catch you and carry you in their arms.’ (Matt. 4) But Jesus refused to be a stunt man. He did not come to prove himself. He did not come to walk on hot coals, swallow fire, or put his hand in the lion’s mouth to demonstrate that he had something worthwhile to say.” (Henri Nouwen)

Whether we are musicians, writers, intellectuals, healers, caretakers, salespeople, designers, teachers, students, dancers, chefs, artists, athletes, providers, business managers, builders, inventors, tailors, parents…we like to be admired for our talents and hard work. Most of us wouldn’t strive to do and be our best if no one were around to notice. We not only want to be useful and relevant, we want others to know and appreciate the impact that we have made. We want to do something impressive with our lives.

When my son was 4 years old, he attended a playschool. The first order of the day was ‘circle time’—where everybody sat in a circle and took turns sharing something that they thought was important. Each kid would try to outdo the other with anecdotes about his pets, siblings, or a trip he took. If anyone had new shoes, he would walk around the inside of the circle so that the other kids could admire them. As a parent helper, I was always amused by their childish attempts to impress each other.

The temptation to be admired by our peers is not much different than those little kids at circle time. Once we realize the silliness of our pursuits, we are less likely to fall for this trap. We don’t have to prove our worthiness to our fellow humans. In fact, we are all flawed. Yet, we are redeemed by our connection, our communion with God.

“Through Christ we can approach God and stand in his favor. So we brag because of our confidence that we will receive glory from God.” (Romans 5:2 GWT)