Are we like the Pharisees?

I was reading in the Gospel of John last night when I came upon something that made me stop and think, "Am I like the Pharisees?" I will quote the passage, "Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn - and I would heal them. Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus' glory and spoke about him. Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God" (12:37-43).

It is the last phrase I want to comment on, "...for they loved praise from men more than praise from God." Were these leaders that came to Christ Pharisees? I believe they were; I also believe that Nicodemus was one of them. They would have been afraid to let the other Pharisees know because they knew what would happen; after all they were Pharisees too. It says that they (the Pharisees) loved praise from men more than praise from God. Do we love praise from men more than praise from God? Shouldn't what God think be more important than what men think? It should, but because we are human and often have self-esteem issues, we crave praise from others. Does that make us Pharisees? We often criticize the Pharisees, but take a good look at yourself; Do you think like the Pharisees? I know I do. This is something that I have been working on - doing things for the right reasons, not doing things for people, not doing things to get a reaction from people, to soothe my ego - but doing things for God; after all, isn't what He thinks more important?

Am I there yet? No. And I won't be here on the earth; but I want to do things for the right reasons. Do you?