first and last

According to a story I read a few days ago, a recent study suggests that people are designed to place more value on others who have higher social standing than those who have lower social standing. This is one of those study results that is not exactly a shock, but it is something that I have thought about quite a bit nonetheless.

One of the main themes of Jesus' ministry was humility. He said that the last should be first. He said that we should approach Him as children. He told the disciples that the greatest among them would serve rather than rule. The Pharisees' and teachers of the law's tendency to seek positions of honor earned them some of Jesus' harshest recorded words in Matthew 23. I doubt any of this is news to anyone reading this post, though.

I don't think anyone is immune from some desire to have status. For some people it is holding some occupational position. For others, it is being seen as a good parent. For yet others, it is being known as having good taste. The question I have is at what point this becomes a problem. Is it alright to want to hold some status, be it ever so minor, or does Jesus' call to humility mean that all drive for any status should be avoided?

I think this is quite relevant because, of all that can be considered sin, this is probably the thing that is the most ignored in churches. In fact, church can be a breeding ground for this sin, as there are naturally people who want to gain status within the church structure. Since a church is a social structure, it is unavoidable that people would want to seek status, but the dangers of that drive should be acknowledged.

One thing to note is that I know there is nothing at all wrong with having a status. Someone needs to fill the roles that have a status attached to them. It is simply wrong to pursue status for the wrong reasons. I just want to know where the line is.