Edge God Out

Ego is a word that I use quite often in my field. However, I also want it to be a word that people begin to understand in a different way. I like to think of ego and the idea that we carry around about ourselves. We all have a hard time not identifying ourselves by some form of ego. We like to tell ourselves we are our possesions, our reputation, and by what we do. However, if we call ourselves Christ followers, we really need to define ourselves in Christ.

What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn't work. So I quit being a "law man" so that I could be God's man. Christ's life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine," but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that. Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God's grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily. Galatians 2:19

We need to live a life that we realize is not ours, but God's. We no longer identify ourselves with rules and things to impress God or others. This is why Christ died so that we would not have to a relationship with God through rule keeping. Most of us think that if we keep enough rules, get enough stuff, and have enough people like us, we can feel good about ourselves. We quickly find out that this does not lead to a happy and fulfilled life. It leads to a life that is busy, unfullfilled, worrisome because we Edged God Out of life. We forget that God has already told us what we are worth - everything! We are not here to be peer pleasing and we are not here to have others fulfill our desire so we can feel good. We are here to live a life that is God's. We are here to give our life away in return to God for his gift. It is in living without an ego that we, when we lose our self, that we truly find our life! I think I remember someone saying this one time. So this week notice when your ego wants to take over. Notice it when your spouse asks for something and you want to say to yourself, "how dare they!" This is your ego. Notice it when someone cuts you off in traffic and you want to tell them how they offended you. This is your ego. Notice it when you feel like your rights were violated and you want to react in anger. This is your ego. Notice it when you someone does not notice you like you want or think they should. This is your ego. Anytime you are looking for opportunities to be offended that is your ego. Ego kills off the spirit of God within you. Let go of ego and let God show love to you and through you!

Namaste'