Words about the WORD - Brian Anderson - Albany United Pentecostal Church
Lately, I have been pondering the condition of humankind almost daily. I try to step back and look at humanity and envision how our Great Creator must see His incredible creation. I must admit that I have concluded that we must be breaking His heart more days than not.
The reasons that bring me to this conclusion have nothing to do with events happening on a world level, wars, disease, or agendas. The main reason I surmise The Lord’s heart must be breaking in two is how we treat one another.
When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, He first said to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. Then, He said that the second is like the first. Love your neighbor as you love yourself. He then said on these two hang all the law and prophets.
How we treat each other is an essential part of living for God. As Jesus Himself said, these two go together. So, if we love our neighbor and care for our neighbor the way we would love and take care of ourselves, we are showing love to God, who is the reason we live, move, and have our being.
If you want to see if this is prevalent in our world today, just go outside, go to the store, try to find a parking spot, get on the freeway, or you can even go to church; it will not take long for one to see something very vital is missing.
In our world, in our nation, in our state, in our county, in our town, and in our churches, we have the mindset that if anyone deserves the parking spot, the place in line, the position, the recognition, the award, or the acknowledgment, it is us. This is because humanity has evolved to the point where we have developed the crab mentality.
Crab mentality is a toxic mindset where people try to stop others from succeeding. It’s also known as crab theory, crabs in a bucket mentality, or the crab-bucket effect. If you put crabs in a five-gallon bucket (I have seen this with my own eyes), you will not have to put a lid on it because every time one starts to climb up the side, another will snatch him back down.
The crab mentality causes low self-esteem and a desire to prevent others from gaining an advantage. Individuals feel a sense of satisfaction by dragging others down to a similar level. Thus, crab mentality can be viewed as a response to perceived social inequality, where pulling others down becomes a strategy to cope with feelings of inadequacy or injustice.
How it manifests
•Jealousy: Feeling envious of others’ success
•Belittlement: Humiliating or criticizing others
•Petty competition: Trying to outdo others or making disparaging comments
•Undermining: Sabotaging others’ efforts or creating false reasons for their success
How to overcome the crab mentality:
•Practice gratitude: Focus on the good in your life
•Avoid negative people: Stay away from people who gossip or complain
•Choose to lift others: Celebrate others’ successes and be genuinely happy for them
Our most excellent instrument to bring an end to this mentality that is a tool in the hands of our spiritual adversary that seeks to kill, steal, and destroy is love. If we can get to where we genuinely love one another and not just tolerate each other, we will begin to gain ground spiritually. Jesus said by this shall all men know you are mine, by your love one for another.
To those that have identified this mentality and are looking for a way to combat it, start with Philippians 4:8. “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
