A HEALTHY EGO

Romans 12:3 (NIV) “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.”

EGO defined: a. An exaggerated sense of self-importance; conceit; b. Appropriate pride in oneself; self-esteem.

It is interesting to me and appropriate based on its’ definition alone, that the word EGO has two very contrasting definitions. A person can have a healthy ego or an overblown one. For many years I have had a negative opinion of myself. My self-esteem was low. There were a number of factors that throughout my life have contributed to this fact. Sadly, I had allowed circumstances, situations and people in my life dictate how I felt about myself. Shame on them for doing it, but shame on ME for allowing it.

A healthy ego is a good thing to have. Look at the ‘b’ definition. An “appropriate” pride in oneself. Okay, the appropriate is open to translation here. It’s like saying “act normal” … alright, define “normal” for me. Everyone has their own definition of the word ‘appropriate’. I would like to think that a believer in Christ would have a clearer, more ‘truer to what is meant’ definition than someone without Christ, but sadly, that is not always the case. We have many non-believers who have very healthy egos. They ‘do not think of themselves as more important than they ought’ at all. We have many Christians who think they are God’s gift to creation and we should be grateful to be in their acquaintance. They are unaware of their condition and cannot be told anything about their pride and arrogance, because they are above the fray in their own mind … a rather lofty place to reside and a very high place to fall from when their arrogance is revealed.

Think about your own situation. Look at yourself. Check your heart. Do you have a haughty spirit? Do you think of yourself as better than ANYONE else? If you do or even think you might, ask God to purge it from you so that you may be pleasing in His sight. Being pleasing in the sight of the world will get you nothing eternal and only shallow, meaningless accolades this side of heaven. Do not give away your birthright for a bowl of stew. Be what God wants you to be and not what you think you should be. God’s motives are pure and flawless. Are yours?

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!