Sunday: Ego Trips, Ego Traps

CONTINUING WITH PASTOR TIM KELLER'S BOOK, THE FREEDOM OF SELF-FORGETFULNESS based on Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, 1 Corinthians 3:21-4:7. In recent weeks I've covered section 1: The Natural Condition of the Human Ego---it's empty, painful, busy and fragile as one-upsmanship rules relationships:

Paul wants the Corinthians to know the difference the gospel makes to our egos and how the gospel has transformed things for him. Look at verses 3 and 4. He shows them how the gospel has transformed his sense of self-worth, his sense of self-regard and his identity. He ego operates in a completely different way on the other side of coming to Jesus Christ.

PART 2: THE TRANSFORMED SENSE OF SELF:

....in verses 1 and 2, he reminds them that he is a minister and that he has a job to do. But then he tells them that , with regard to that role, he cares very little if he is judged by them or any human court. The word translated 'judge' here has the same meaning as the word 'verdict.' It is the thing that Madonna craves----that elusive verdict or stamp of approval.

 Paul does not look to the Corinthians---or any human court---for the verdict that he is a somebody. So Paul is saying to the Corinthians that he does not care what they think of him. He does not care what anybody thinks about him. In fact, his identity owes nothing to what people say. If is as if he's saying, I don't care what you think. I don't care what anyone thinks.

 Paul's self-worth, his self-regard, his identity is not tied in any way to their verdict and their evaluation of him. Paul's identity may not be tied to other people's opinion of him---but how do we reach the point where we are not controlled by what other people think of us? How do you think we get there? Most people would say it's pretty obvious. Practically every counsellor I know would say that it shouldn't matter what other people think of us. They tell us that we should not be living according to what other people say. It should not be their standards that count. It should not matter what they think of us. The only thing that should matter is what I think about me. I should only mind about ....in verses 1 and 2, he reminds them that he is a minister and that he has a job to do. But then he tells them that , with regard to that role, he cares very little if he is judged by them or any human court. The word translated 'judge' here has the same meaning as the word 'verdict.' It is the thing that Madonna craves----that elusive verdict or stamp of approval.

 Paul does not look to the Corinthians---or any human court---for the verdict that he is a somebody. So Paul is saying to the Corinthians that he does not care what they think of him. He does not care what anybody thinks about him. In fact, his identity owes nothing to what people say. If is as if he's saying, I don't care what you think. I don't care what anyone thinks.

 Paul's self-worth, his self-regard, his identity is not tied in any way to their verdict and their evaluation of him. Paul's identity may not be tied to other people's opinion of him---but how do we reach the point where we are not controlled by what other people think of us? How do you think we get there? Most people would say it's pretty obvious. Practically every counsellor I know would say that it shouldn't matter what other people think of us. They tell us that we should not be living
what I think my standards should be. I should choose my own standards. So the counsellors advice is Decide who you want to be and then be it because it only matters what you think about yourself. I someone has a problem of low self-esteem we, in our world, seem to have only one way of dealing with it...That is remedying it with high self-esteem.

We tell someone that they need to see they are a great person, they need to see how wonderful they are. We tell them to look at all the great things they have accomplished. We tell them they just need to stop worrying about what other people say about them. We tell them to set their own standards and accomplish them---and then make their own evaluation of themselves.

Paul's approach could not be more different. He cares very little if he is judged by the Corinthians or by any human court. And then he goes one stop further: he will not even judge himself---like he's saying I don't care what you think, I don't care what I think. I have a a very low opinion of your opinion of me, but I have a very low opinion of my opinion of me. The fact that he has a clear conscience makes no difference. Look carefully at what he says in verse 4, My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent....he knows that even if his conscience is clear, that does not necessarily mean he is innocent. Hitler might have had a clear conscience, but that does not mean he was innocent.

What would Paul say to those who tell him to set his own standards? He would say it's a trap. A trap he will not fall into. ....Paul knows that trying to find self-esteem by living up to a certain set of standards---his or someone else's----is a trap. Now we start to discover where Paul finds his sense of identity. Be forwarned! At this point, he moves right off our map.....Paul moves into territory that we know nothing about....