_{*Quick Summary: The author lays out his understanding of ego, how it affects Christians, and how they can more clearly see it in their every day lives.*}

Ego. We all think we understand what it is. It’s that thing in other people that offends us when they’re brash, cocky, arrogant, or otherwise disrespectful, right? What if I told you it’s far deeper? What if I told you the likely reason you’re offended by their ego is due to your own ego? What if ego is the source of all sin and discomfort in this life? I believe it is. If you’re uncomfortable, discouraged, depressed, anxious, or many other negative feelings, it’s also likely connected to ego – either yours or someone else’s.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary says ego is: “the self especially as contrasted with another self or the world”

So by definition, we all have an ego. Yes, even you. I know I have a terrible ego. Probably more than you. The fact I have a website named after me, with photos of me, descriptions of things I’ve done and believe, and have the audacity to think someone would care to click on anything here clearly displays my ego. The issue is not the ego itself, as we all have that, but our perception of the word ego, our recognition of it, and how we balance the contrast in the definition above. 

An example: “The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.”” – Genesis‬ ‭2‬:‭15‬-‭17‬ ‭CSB. Then we see ego: “Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit from the trees in the garden. But about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘You must not eat it or touch it, or you will die.’” “No! You will certainly not die,” the serpent said to the woman. “In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” The woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” – Genesis‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭CSB‬‬

So why did Adam and Eve eat the fruit? The serpent appealed to their ego. They had Heaven on Earth and lacked nothing, but the attraction of being like God was too much for their ego to endure, and they committed the first sin. So when there was only God, the things he created, and two people on this earth, ego was already a problem. How much more so now in the age of convenience, Internet, tabloid TV, and social media, with complications and temptations Adam and Eve could never imagine? 

Satan being all that he is, let his ego get to him, and that is what caused his separation from God. That is also why he does what he does in the world today. He thinks he can be like God. Everything that comes from Satan is due to his ego and his ability to be like the serpent and tempt humans with their own egos.

So what is a healthy level of ego? I’m not sure. I struggle with that. From my standpoint as a Christian and a sinner, I realize I deserve nothing. I truly deserve every bad thing that happens to me and more. Without Jesus Christ, I have no “good” in me. I become sin without Jesus, and sin is evil by nature, therefore I am evil and deserve pain and destruction. Sounds harsh, right? But following my understanding of sin and the Bible, it’s true, so ANYTHING and EVERYTHING other than pain and destruction is undeserved, and is a gift straight from God. A sign that God loves us. How much more so that He provides His son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit to save us from our wickedness and sin? The more you think on it, the more incredible it is. 

So we have to balance our ego, knowing it is not us, but Christ that deserves any good thing that comes along, and therefore, those things belong to Him. As Christians, we belong to Him. We are not deserving. We should have no inflated ego, because nothing is based on our merits. We haven’t “earned” anything. Every thing we have in this world is a gift. Knowing that, you can now see why ego is the source of sin. Theft or jealousy? What makes you think you deserve that item more than the current owner? Ego. Adultery? What makes you think you ought to have someone else’s spouse? Ego. Pornography addiction? Why do you feel you can lust without judgement or responsibility? Ego. Alcohol or drug abuse? What makes you think you can destroy the body that God made, for your own pleasure? Ego. Murder? Who do you think you are to take the life of someone God created? Ego. Every single one of the Ten Commandments? Ego is at the root of violating those rules. Thankfully, as Christians, Jesus fulfilled the Ten Commandments with one: ““I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”” – John‬ ‭13‬:‭34‬-‭35‬ ‭CSB. If you follow that one command, you won’t violate any of the Ten Commandments. Love is the cure for inflated ego and a lack of balance for the contrast between ourselves and others. If you always follow the type of love Jesus commanded, you can attain true self-control. The trouble is – we don’t.

So hopefully you see my point about ego, and perhaps have a different way of looking at it. We all have it. It’s about recognizing when something is off in your life, and being able to make a judgement if ego is connected to it. In the process, don’t forget to look inward and see if your own ego might be to blame as well. Then remember ego kills talent, but love kills ego.

On a related side note, “CBC” is a phrase a friend of mine said regularly. “CBC, man. C… B… C…” he’d say. I found out it stands for, “Can’t Be Cool”, and my friend said it’s the root of every bad thing. He’s right. It’s ego. At some point or another, someone Can’t Be Cool, and things go sideways. Satan CBC, therefore he no longer lives in God’s presence. Adam and Eve CBC, and they fell in sin. In our daily life, someone has road rage because they CBC. They are racist because they CBC. They steal because they CBC. They cheat because they CBC. They lie because they CBC. People hurt each other because they CBC. At some point, every sin comes down to CBC, because it is the same as ego. So whether you want to refer to it as ego or CBC, hopefully you’ll put more thought into how it enters your life, not just seeing it in others, but also yourself. Be Cool!