When we fear something exists in ourselves we are more likely to judge it in other people.
Confession . . . “ego” is not a desirable thing in my opinion. When some of my colleagues and I sit around a table and the conversations turn to “let me tell you what I’ve done,” “let me tell you how big my church is”. . . my hair starts to stand on end.
- We don’t DO anything.
- God does
- Even if AMAZING things are happening, we should find a way to celebrate that without being egocentric and braggadocios.
This becomes a bit of a problem because if I think someone is egocentric, I ultimately end up trying to avoid them at all costs.
A colleague friend that I’ve known for over 20 years and I were having lunch recently and we were talking about the subject of ego. He’s one of those friends that speaks truth in love and also knows me/how I do ministry really well.
It was refreshing to be able to have honest, blunt conversation around things we need to “keep in check” in our own lives.
We reflected that actually, we both know that we have ego, but the point is to always try to keep it in check. We know that ego and pride are not things of God but of man, so regardless of how great things are going, etc. we must always remember it is a God thing, not a personal thing.
Perhaps the reason I avoid folks with ego is because I fear that which lies within me.
Instead of judging and denying, I need to make sure that I am always exploring that which motivates me.
What about you?
And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin