The first sin of ego is hubris - arrogance. The arrogance
of ego is to insist, "I know best." "I know what is right."
"I know the answers." "I know the way." "And the world will
conform to my will." This all to frequent human failing is
illustrated through an old story:
A man of supreme faith in God waited and watched as
torrents of rain fell raising the nearby river. In a few
days the river overflowed its banks. The water began to
flood the man's home. After three days of fighting off
flood waters a neighbor came by in a canoe to ask our hero
if he needed help getting to dry land. No, the man
insisted, God would care for him. He sent the good
Samaritan on his way. The water continued to rise, until
the man was trapped on the second story of his house.
Within hours a speedboat came by, its driver offered the
man a lift to drier, safer ground. Again the man rejected
the offer; God would save him. The waters continued to
rise, forcing the man to scramble onto his roof. As
daylight broke after a miserable night a helicopter flew
in, dropping a line to pull the man to safety. Again the
man refused, claiming God would rescue him. Finally raging
waters collapsed the house, drowning our would-be hero in
the torrent. The man, upon seeing God in heaven, lamented,
"Lord I put my faith in you to rescue me." God looked at
the man with pity and replied, "Well, heck, I sent a canoe,
a speedboat, and a helicopter — what more did you
expect?"
Like this man, we invest ourselves in the belief that life
is supposed to be a certain way. We mistakenly punish
ourselves through pride and hubris as we seek to be "right"
rather than to be "happy"; to get "our way" rather than to
"have peace"; to be "vindicated" rather than exist in
"harmony." We judge people and circumstances that do not
measure up to our preconceptions.
We judge people and conditions by appearance, by demeanor,
by expression, by every sense and faculty. Every judgment
is an exultation of "I" - "ego" over the "other" and the
"whole." We seek power, we crave control, even if only in
the confines of our self-righteous sentiment. By extolling
ego and making judgments we remain lost and alone in a
divided, dangerous world - a circumstance of our own
making.
To be and accept fully what you truly are — a child
of God — embraced by the Creator's immeasurable love,
you must release the vain comfort of judging. As you
journey through the adventure of life, forego the ego's
attempt to seize power and bestow position by condemning
individuals or circumstances. Discipline your need to
judge. This is no easy task — the ego is a crafty
force. Only through personal vigilance, can you master ego.
Luke, chapter six, verse 37 reads: "Judge not lest ye be
judged." This exhortation is not so much a foreboding of
the end days and final judgment as it is practical advice
to realize a full and fulfilling life. The opportunity
before you is one of unlimited potential. Do not squander
the prospect for joy by shackling yourself to unproductive
perceptions. Don't waste your energy judging and
condemning.
Refuse to judge, rather meet life on its terms and revel in
the adventure trusting that God has the big picture well in
hand.
----------------------------------------------------
Scott F. Paradis, author of "Promise and Potential: A Life
of Wisdom, Courage, Strength and Will"
http://www.promiseandpotential.com publishes "Insights" and
a free weekly ezine, "Money, Power and the True Path to
Prosperity", subscribe now at http://www.c-achieve.com
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