Nugget #6 – Ego

What is the ego?  It is all about self-centeredness.  The ego is interested in self-preservation at all costs and can build a vast empire (Corporations, Military, Political, etc.) that exploits or even enjoys harming others. The common theme is “look out for number one!”

What we saw, in the previous paragraph, is the ego at its extreme and out of control.  This does not mean that the ego is all bad though.  In fact it does serve a good purpose.  To illustrate, in order to fully appreciate what we have, we must experience having very little or nothing at all.  We cannot know what hot is without experiencing cold.  We find this concept revealed in Ecclesiastes 3:2-9.  Contrast is important for us to fully experience and to learn so that correction will take place.  Correction in this case is bringing the ego under control. 

We should ask ourselves; does the story of the Garden of Eden really speak of sin or were we given the opportunity/task of learning contrast so that we can in turn learn to control and harness the ego?