The Opposite of Ego is Love

“I have been crucified with Christ. I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me; insofar as I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me.^” Galatians 2:20

We all have two voices playing in our consciousness, our ego and our sacred self. Sometimes, who we think we are and who we really are don’t match. And, the bigger the gap between the two, the bigger our ego becomes. Our physical self (ego) gets in the way of our sacred self.

Truth is our egos can really sabotage of our happiness.

Excessive ego can cause arguments, misunderstandings, prevent intimacy, and postpone reconciliation. For Christians, there is just no room for ego. Ego is pride, ignorance, and it has no feelings; no love. It’s judgmental, unappreciative and relishes in the failings of others.

The antidote for ego is love, humility and peace.

Although the bible never mentions ego, the theme of “dying to self” is a frequent theme. Dying to self becomes the model for Christians as we work to rid ourselves of the destructive effects of ego and become a more authentic version of who we really are.

[pullquote]“Then he said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.^”Luke 9:23-24[/pullquote]

How do we get in touch with our sacred self? How do we know that we are living God’s plan for us? Here are some comparisons from an anonymous writer that might help us recognize our own struggle with ego:

Ego judges others for their faults or flaws.
Our sacred self judges no one.
Ego envies others for their successes.
Our sacred self rejoices with the success of others and feels their joy fully.
Ego seeks to get love and acceptance.
Our sacred self seeks to give love and acceptance.
Ego is self-centered.
Our sacred self is God and other-centered.
Ego has to get even.
Our sacred self knows to let it go.
Ego likes to fight.
Our sacred self loves to heal.
Ego blames.
Our sacred self takes responsibility.

So, how do we rid ourselves of this self-destructive ego and truly follow a more loving, humble, authentic version of ourselves? If we are to empty ourselves of ego, then we must fill the void with love, humility, and peace.

Here are some things to try:

Always choose love. Whenever we are confronted with a situation where we are being judgmental, stop! Do we really understand the person we are judging? Do we know the details of their situation? Then, why not give them the benefit of the doubt and just chose to love.
Accept our own imperfections. Often we judge others to make ourselves feel superior. We fail to come to terms with our own flaws. Accepting our own imperfections starts with not comparing ourselves with others. We should only compare ourselves with our previous self and with how far we have come on our personal journey.
Quit Complaining! Life isn’t perfect and neither are the people you deal with every day. Complaining gets you nowhere and simply feeds your destructive ego.
Recognize God’s amazing grace. When we realize that all that we have is a gift from God and are grateful, then we are on the path toward putting our ego on hold and giving glory to God.
Stay in the moment. Ego flourishes in rehashing the past and obsessing about the future. When we have truly “died to self” we find ourselves enjoying the happiness and joy of now.

Let’s try to put on Christ and lead lives that are less about our ego and more about being authentic versions of who God wants us to be.

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