Ego & the Focus on Self vs Humility (10.16.16)

Faith Believers,
While the word ego does not appear in the Bible, concepts and principles regarding the ego certainly do. The word ego generally refers to an exaggerated sense of self-importance, which usually results is an excessive preoccupation with "self." 

But dying to self, the polar opposite of ego, is the biblical model for Christians. The Bible is filled with admonitions against the self because of man's inherent desire to be worshiped. In fact, all the various forms of modern idolatry have self at their very core. The dark forces of this age have convinced many that contentment is achieved only by satisfying the urges of the self. And we can trace this all the way back to the Garden of Eden where Eve became stirred by satan's lie that she could "be like GOD" (Genesis 3:5).

The opposite of ego is humility, and both the Old and New Testaments are laden with references to living humbly.

In the book of Micah we read, "What does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your GOD" (Micah 6:8). King Solomon declared, "Humility and the fear of the LORD bring wealth and honor and life" (Proverbs 22:4). One verse that epitomizes why we are to be humble is Peter's exhortation in his first epistle: "All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, GOD opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" (1 Peter 5:5, emphasis added).

Indeed, Scripture makes it clear that GOD hates pride and arrogance (Proverbs 8:13). In fact, it was pride that turned lucifer into satan. Isaiah 14:13-14 describes satan's astounding focus on self: "I will ascend…I will raise…I will sit… I will ascend…I will make myself like the Most High." This is a perfect example of pride going before destruction (Proverbs 16:18), for in the next verse in Isaiah we see where satan's pride got him: "But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit" (v.15). Christ reiterated the fate of the proud, warning that "whoever exalts himself will be humbled" (Matthew 23:12). 

Clearly, an inflated ego and its focus on self are not in keeping with the Christian call for humility. Rather, it is the antithesis of what characterizes true Christians-dependence on GOD and service to others.
  -  Marilyn