Feeling Too Good

Is it possible to feel too good?  In my last post I wrote about depression and how it can drag you down and make you feel worthless, like nothing can be done to bring you out of the depths of despair.  Well, there’s a flip side to that that many people would never think is a problem.  It can lead to you doing and saying things you would normally not. 

I am not talking about happiness and feeling good in mind, body and soul…I am talking about vanity and being so full of yourself you are not yourself.  When your spirit forgets its roots and influences you to feel superior to others, when it makes you feel unstoppable and above realistic abilities.  Have you ever experienced this?  Have you ever felt like you were the king or queen of your world?  Have you ever felt like everyone was watching you, or has your mind ever tricked you into thinking you were in some way the center of the universe that everything revolved around?  This is vanity, this is conceitedness, this is meaningless and this is the opposite of depression.  It is what caused satan to fall from grace and is the second deadliest sin we are warned about in the Word.

I have experienced this and it affects our emotional attitudes and can manifest itself into physical actions that can be as harmful as suicide, because in a way that is what is happening when you surround yourself in vanity.  The pursuit of greatness often falls on the sword of egotism my friend and when you feel stronger than you really are, that’s when you hopefully realize you suffer from one of the greatest weaknesses you can have in all the human flaws that distract and confuse you from becoming a well- rounded individual. 

There is nothing wrong with having pride in your accomplishments.  There is nothing wrong with wanting to have others appreciate your efforts.  But there is something wrong with being arrogant and boastful about your achievements.  The minute you think the world owes you something because you are you, is the minute you better check yourself and realize that in the big picture you are but a small, small part.

When you are depressed you can rise above and make your life better.  When you suffer from the highs of vanity there is nowhere to go but down.  I like examples; I like analogies, so here are two: 

As I write this I cannot help but think about Howard Hughes, a man who had for most of his life the world by the tail…and knew it.  How did his life end…in worthless despair, addicted to heroin, unhealthy, unclean and miserable.

The second was displayed just last night.  Nowhere near as dramatic as Howard Hughes life but there are many parallels.  A man who claims he’s too important to society to remain silent.  A man who is the self-professed King is actually nothing more than another pawn in the game of life.  A man who is great at what he does, but is not the greatest ever, even thou many tell him he is.  A man who needs to realize there is no I in team and that a well formed team will dethrone any self- absorbed kingdom.  I am talking about LeBron James and even though I appreciate his talents...I get the feeling he appreciates them more himself.  A man who was swept in four games by a well formed and coached team and who is maybe, just maybe, finally realizing the sun does not rise ad set around his throne. 

Be humble my friends for vanity and the quest to be the best in the face of others has brought ruin to many.  You may feel good in the moment, but you will eventually suffer a fate worse than any depression you can possibly imagine.   History is full of triumphant stories of those who rose from the ashes to a better life, but it is also filled with the tragedies of those who thought their life was somehow more important than anybody else’s.

I hope you never have to experience the lows of depression or the highs of vanity as I have in my life…but if you find yourself in that moment check yourself and know there’s hope in any situation and there’s always someone better than you…no matter how rich or gifted you think you may be.  Be the best you can be, nothing wrong with that, just remember where those gifts originated or you may find yourself with a lump of coal...instead of true worth and happiness.

Ecclesiastes Chapters 1 & 2 and Chapters 5 & 6…..

Be kind, be humble and most of all be grateful…AMEN