What Makes Me So Mad?

Arrogance!  For some reason when I encounter arrogance, it makes me mad.  Here is the definition of the word.

"having or revealing an exaggerated sense of one's own importance or abilities" 

As a motorcyclist, I notice the arrogance on the road. First there is the arrogance of those who think they can talk on the phone and drive a car. The first myth about arrogance is, "we can do this."  Repeatedly, I find people wanting to get ahead of you even if their arrogance in driving could cost someone like me on a motorcycle their life.  That by the way is the second myth, placing my interest first, won't hurt anyone."  and that leads to the third myth which is, "what, me arrogant!?" This attitude is a complete dismissal of a prideful ownership of "me first.

Pride, arrogance, selfishness, are all products of our culture. We measure value by what we own, what we do, and who we know. Its unfortunate, but these things bring us pleasure in how we live our lives before others. Many times, our arrogance is to send a message to other people. Notice me, I am important! It may seem like our day has a big problem with this kind of attitude, but that's not the case.  Human nature from the begin has had this dilemma.  Cain, was not happy with his brother, so his arrogance killed him. The pharisees in the day of Jesus were arrogant in how they represented God. Jesus identified their arrogance as conditions of the heart. In Matthew 23:25-26

25“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.  26You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

It all comes down to what's in the heart. In Jeremiah 31 it states:

I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

 God knows that the heart of a person must change before society as a whole will change.  From Mark 7 we read:

21For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,  22coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.  23All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” Can the heart be changed without the help of God? How can we replace what is naturally grown within us? For me, God is my only defense against my the greatest enemy that lurks in my heart....ME. It is my own heart that generates all of what is described in Mark 7, and I can not blame anyone, or use the argument that I am not that bad, at least I am not a murderer.  But look at those descriptions again, do you want to be friends with anyone who practices those things?  Well, if you said no, then how can you be friends with yourself?  Someone has said, "as long as we have the human heart, we will have lawyers?" Well I guess there is some insight there somewhere, however, the change God proposes is that He can change the condition of the heart if we want Him to, and that is a choice totally up to you.  i have asked Him to change my heart so that arrogance doesn't get to me like it does. FYI. Keeping it honest and truthful....K