The HIDDEN DEVIL of EGO - My Religious View Point

[jennifer_bloom]

5 - Ego as in over depending on people for validation and acceptance - God alone is your servant and Lord - no other human being should be required to serve you - not even your children or spouse or grand children - only God should be worshiped by you and only God's principles ought to serve you

4 - Ego as in wanting to be worshiped - God alone is to be worshiped

3 - Ego as in wanting to eliminate competition - people are children of God and do not belong to you

2 - Ego as in wanting recognition of your own worth by fighting those who undermine it - God only is worthy of praise

1 - Ego as in confident about your own righteousness - only God is perfect

I'm going to divide it into some common pitfalls

Even people who have been religious for decades can struggle with ego.

But sometimes the devil of ego can approach you in subtle ways that aren't so obvious as posting semi clad nude photos of yourself in a bikini or entering beauty pageants or showing half naked pics of your biceps on facebook.

I realized the answer today - its because of Ego. No intelligent Christian will knowingly brag about their muscles or their money knowing this kind of boosting puts them in danger of God's wrath.

It puzzled me for a long time - Why is it that I've been a Christian for over 20 years and people who have been a Christian for 3 years seem more happy or joyful or forgiving or gracious or intimate than me?

[Freddy78361]

Evil is simply the elevation of your desires above everyone else's regardless of the damage you do to them.

Ego can be a good thing because it spurs us on to success and positive change. Do you like technology? Ego gave us that. But don't go overboard.

[UncleJessieRabbit]

I know. Do you think God dislikes people just having success?

[Freddy78361]

God does not dislike people achieving success in their lives so long as our actions do not harm our relationship with God. If our actions harm that relationship we are in trouble.
How do we harm that relationship? By putting our needs above His plan.

[elisa_0]

Thank you for your insight! I’m not religious but it gives me some things to think about. 💗

[jennifer_bloom]

I'm glad it helps

[PonyCarGirl98]

I agree completely with what you're saying here, in that an out-of-control ego is truly cancerous to society, I know we've all dealt with people like this..

But I think there is a clear distinction between personal pride and the 'devil of ego'...

In the fitness world (no, I'm not talking about a fitstafan or an onlygram, what ever the hell it is..) when people compete, when they post progress photos of themselves, even if they flex in the mirror.. and for this sake, they're natural.. I think the idea is that they're proud of their body and the hard work they've put in. And they want to motivate others to do the same! At least that's why I'd do it. But I bet a lot of people just want to seek validation, as u said.

Now, when people exaggerate this healthy sense of personal pride, and/or transfer it into treating others poorly, that is a huge problem..

Social media is just that for many people... instead of sharing love, thoughts and ideas, it's become literally most people seeking attention/validation/'clout' for a dopamine high..

[pajamasam]

So if you worked out. Worked out HARD for two years straight and lost a TON of weight. And now you have a smoking hot body and you are proud of your work and effort so you decide to take a sexy bikini picture and show off the fruit of your hard work.

Thats ego, your not allowed to be recognized, only God deserves recognition, no one is allowed to recognize your effort, they aren't allowed to like your picture because thats too similar to worshipping an image. You aren't allowed to want people to see you. You aren't allowed to enjoy their gaze.

All of that is sin?

I simply have to disagree. And being completely honest, that all sounds kinda damaging to ones sense of confidence and self worth.

[Nadim171]

It seems like God has an ego. Kind of

[purplepoppy]

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. (Ephesians 6:5 NLT) Women should listen and learn quietly and submissively. I do not let women teach men or have authority over them. Timothy 2:11-15 NLTYou wives will submit to your husbands as you do to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of his body, the church; he gave his life to be her Savior. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives must submit to your husbands in everything. (Ephesians 5:22-24 NLT) Slaves, obey your human masters in everything, not only when being watched, as currying favor, but in simplicity of heart, fearing the Lord. (Colossians 3:22 NAB) Wives, be subordinate to your husbands, as is proper in the Lord. (Colossians 3:18 NAB). I think the bible is pretty clear that you can serve others and expect others to serve you.

[chris_987]

Lol don’t you think it is a waste of time to disprove a book you don’t believe in

[purplepoppy]

Using the bible to disprove religious beliefs is very logical.

[chris_987]

Not really. You’ve never read the bible so it’s pointless to use one very to disprove a book you’ve never read

[purplepoppy]

I'm not disproving the bible I'm using the bible to disprove a religious assumption.

[chris_987]

But you don’t read the bible so it’s easy to spot your type cause you guys use the same verse and say stuff like all wars are started because of religion. Non of which is true. You just want people to be atheist like you

[Skadouchebag]

the holiest dispostion is not to have an inflated self-opinion, nor to have a deflated self-opinion, but to have no self opinion at all and get back to one's daily duties. to be in the mental state where one could produce a great work of art and look upon it no differently than if someone else had done it: *this* is true humility.

[Kaneki05]

i mean according to the bible you shouldn't question things so... your kinda messing up here. You must just go along with what happens god has a plan. Again according to the bible. Don't question God Obey and Sit. And if other Christians seem more happy than you that must be gods plan.

[yenofed840]

being truthful to yourself is main reason to feel happy. God just keeps eyes on us that how much we are faithful with god. Pray from Heart and Do good for others also. Ego will never come in between if you do good and do not tell to others what good deeds you have done. When you start tell about your good deeds to other, people will appericiate you and then ego will come in you. I am telling you with my personal experience.

[UncleJessieRabbit]

This is an issue, why does it need to be this dichotomy? You can be happy or glad about your own achievements while still realizing you are not worthy of being the best person or worshiped for them more than God is.

Binary understanding like that are what scare some people away from Christianity or God.

[jennifer_bloom]

There is a difference between contentment and satisfaction and the desire to empower yourself at the expense of others. A healthy person is happy to achieve while an unhealthy person finds happiness in attention and praise.

[UncleJessieRabbit]

I mean the desire to work out and lose weight for example isn't about the expense of others.
Your take just didn't really talk about the difference though.

[Nadim171]

Well I am not religious but I do agree with you on the main idea.

[Jjpayne]

Pride comes before a fall and ego is not too far from that

[OddBeMe]

That’s a nice analysis. I only wish you put that much thought to things that exist.

[BeyondBlue123]

Jesus is crying seeing what you idiots do. Satan on the other hand though, is laughing his ass off.

[Cryptic-Game]

Yes. It is better to be a child of God than to be a child of Satan.

[honestGUY45]

Sounds like he has quite an ego. 😝

[sensible27]

Bruh...

[Anonymous]

SHUT THE FUCK UP

[elisa_0]

What the hell?

[michael1469]

Oh look, a squirrel.