Christians who truly live their faith are acutely aware that they are not perfect. They are flawed, and the idea that they could know everything is laughable. They know that Jesus loathed the holier-than-thou attitude of the Pharisees. His chosen Apostles included both Matthew the tax collector, a man who would have been reviled for his profession, and Paul the highly educated Roman citizen. Christ did not separate people out based on what they had but based on who they were as people. Even for those who were all but lost, Christ still had compassion. Christians are called to emulate that compassion. Unfortunately, some people start to act less out of compassion and more out of pity. They become, essentially, modern day Pharisees. If you are starting to walk this path, you are walking away from Christ. 

Admitting that you are being self-righteous is something that many people struggle with doing. After all, by admitting you are acting self-righteous, you are actually admitting that you are not as righteous as you thought you were or seemed to be. If you are to return to Christ, however, you must first admit that you are not perfect. If you find yourself thinking of yourself as better or more enlightened than others, you likely need to revisit Christ’s admonitions of the Pharisees.