Self, the Subtle Strongman

Posted 9/2/2000

Self

The subtle strongman

There is no greater obstacle to the work of God in our lives than the love of self. Greed, inconsideration, indifference, and neglect are common evidences of selfishness.

Mocks the Ten Commandments ex 20:1

• Exalts self over God, committing idolatry
• Deems the impetuous moment to be greater than the name of God, and uses it despicably
• Holds selfish needs to be more important than keeping the sabbath holy and resting
• Considers parents a nuisance and in the way
• Feels perfectly justified in blowing up in anger at another when self has been hurt
• Has sex when self has the need, whether married or not, and pleases self by watching others do the same
• Wants it, so takes it
• Has to protect itself, and will readily lie to do so
• Never has enough, and the next best thing is what the other person has

I want. Nothing is more important than that. All of self's actions singlemindedly attend to self's needs. The flip side of this is the self doesn't care at all for others. Needy, hurting, hungry & thirsty, and downtrodden people don't merit even a passing glace on the road to placating the raging desires of self.

Paul writes a blistering paragraph describing the selfish in 2ti 3:2 - greedy, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, gossips, uncontrolled, brutal, hateful, treacherous, reckless, conceited, and lovers of pleasure. Not a nice bunch of people by that description, but they wouldn't know it.

Don't be one of them - and don't be so smug that you're not!

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