Ego - Best friend of foe?

[JulieTang84]

This subject is very close to my heart and my ego is very dear to me.  :HeartThrob:   :friendstu:


So many times have I heard would be wise people totally denounce the ego, what foolish talk this is and I will explain why.


Not sure how many here have seen the pit of the despair from within. Not being able to trust anyone or mostly oneself. It can be a very lonely place. Knowing that if that there is a God but his love was not for the likes of me. All I had was my ego, the only one who stood by me and the only one I could count on being their for me. Of course I am speaking of a complete emotional break down in the darkness of depression.


Why or how is another story, as this one has its own to tell. Earthly wisdom will tell you that your ego is bad, sinful never to be trusted, to push it away always. Well I grew to trust my ego to always give me what I needed to know. I am sure many will be having doubts about my sanity right about now. My ego always gave me a different way of looking at things. I was grateful for the interaction. I certainly wasn't going to just nod my head in agreement and walk away. Not at all. I wanted to know why my ego felt that way, what had happened? I needed to talk to someone who wasn't going to judge me.


Certainly nothing is as it would appear. My ego was acceptive of the interaction and I learned much about myself that I had hereto pushed away. Oh my goodness my ego had an opinion on everything, especially Eternal Damnation. That God was going to burn me forever, to get out and have some fun, live it up, party for tomorrow you die and what next but a pit of fire. I didn't believe it then and I don't really think my ego did either, because neither of us could find the love. So together we worked through that one. No rational argument no matter how it was presented could ever sell Eternal Damnation.


Well for brevity, I will close this up. I welcome my ego still; there is always an opportunity to learn something new and grow together. Would you believe that sentences like: "They all hate you!" or "God doesn't care about that!!!!" or "They all do it!!!!" Have all disappeared, my ego plays a little differently now is much more subtle, very tricky like and keeps me on my toes. I thank God for my ego and all that I have gained from it.


All I have to do is Love, nothing more nothing less because every concern ever brought to me by my ego caused us both to accept the Love of our Father.


I share this with all of you because together my ego and I  :friendstu:  crawled out of the depression all the stronger because of it. Nothing is as it would appear and I know the world in which I have created is all but an illusion, for who can really see inside another's heart other than our dear father.


All my love, Julie :HeartThrob:

[Lazarus Short]

Julie:

We are what we are, and what we are is the image of God - a bit marred, but still an image.  If that includes an ego, and if we all have one, then God must have made us like that.  If, when God perfects us, the ego goes, fine.  If the ego stays, I'm good with that, too.  :cloud9:

[micah7:9]

Isn't ego your own self? :Chinscratch:

[JulieTang84]

Isn't ego your own self? :Chinscratch:

:HeartThrob:


I think there is a lot of truth to that Micah. There is so much more to being human than just what we can see, hear and touch. Sometimes we can be our best friend and sometimes our worst enemy. Sometimes at the same time. Has anyone really discovered just who and what they are? A child of Father certainly, but it figures I'm but a baby still. Someone told me the answer is 33. I am sure they are right, but I can't prove it.  :dontknow:

[micah7:9]

I personally believe that I am what He is molding and making over, I figure somewhere along the line He reasoned I would have a lot of flaws and mars....but I am no way wanting to get off the wheel even when I get real dizzy and even sick at times.  :HeartThrob: :dsunny: :dsunny:

[Lazarus Short]

Someone told me the answer is 33. I am sure they are right, but I can't prove it.  :dontknow:

No, it is 42.  :laughing7:

[Ross]

Ego- a conscious thinking subject,
- the part of the mind that reacts to reality and has a sense of individuality,
- self-esteem.

Interesting definitions by Mr Oxford.
We were created with an ego. IMO this seems to be so that we would be inquisitive about things and seek answers. To me that seems to put the idea that we would seek what life is all about, instead of sitting back and doing nothing.
Fortunately the whole learning process is paid for, and stimulated in full, by Christ.

[shawn]

Are we talking about ego or pride?  Often they are used interchangeably...but psychologically they shouldn't be.  The ego is actually a filter for our actions...keeping us from engaging primal urges allowing us to engage moral rather than instinctual actions.  That is a good thing.

Now if you are talking about pride, or maybe self confidence that is a different story.  We should have God confidence, and any confidence in self is directly related to our interdependence on Him.  I'm confident that I have been given some God given abilities, and if I stay connected to Him, those abilities can help aid me in navigation of this world, and loving others.

If we are talking about pride, there is "I'm better than you pride", and then there is "I'm worse than you pride".  There is pride turned inward, we use to harm ourselves by holding ourselves to standards of perfection.  There is pride turned outward used as a weapon against others.  Both are destructive.

[sheila]

well,I don't know if ego is the right term..for this gift of eternal life He gives us. But,I see this'gift' as

  always dwelling with the Lord.  and the restoration...when all returns to their 'former' state..like this

   'wisdom,like an inheritance is a good thing"..and this 'I was filled with delight day after day........

   always rejoicingg in his presence.    soI see this as the spirit life as an individual gift that is capable

  of always dwelling with the Lord.   

    unless a kernal of wheqt fall to the erth and die..it remains alone. but if it fall to the earth and die it bears

    much fruit....I see the TOL bearing it's fruit every month..even eternal life...and much fruit after it's

   kind.   Wisdom is a tree of life.

              our state of being..is our inheritance of eternal life...I AM...U[you are]R WE BE= RESTORATION

   

[micah7:9]

The dictionary calls ego, the self, and Sheila I believe you are correct when you mention the kernel(ego-self), must fall to the ground and die, in my opinion, ego is not pride, pride is an attribute of the ego.

From what I have read the Greeks considered ego(self) the soul, and that, in my opinion is the rub.

I've said this before, and consider it a first step in understanding, the first time a word is used in the Bible, defines it's meaning. I do not want to get into it here(been there-done that) but the first time the word soul is used is Gen. 2:7 and it is defined. :HeartThrob: :dsunny:

[JulieTang84]

:HeartThrob: Sheila wrote: 

unless a kernal of wheat fail to the earth and die..it remains alone. but if it fail to the earth and die it bears much fruit....

:HeartThrob: Micah wrote:

The dictionary calls ego, the self, and Sheila I believe you are correct when you mention the kernel(ego-self), must fall to the ground and die, in my opinion, ego is not pride, pride is an attribute of the ego.

And so continues this story. Thank you both for such wisdom.


Micah you asked right at the beginning of this thread: "Isn't ego your own self?" Well by all accounts I would say my ego is as part as me as not. Just part of me on a different focal plane. I had to "die" right along with my "ego" in order to germinate (be born again)  :HeartThrob:


This whole episode seen me fall and is really only the beginning of the story........


Love Julie

[rosered]

 
  I  loved the way  they both shared too Julie

  We speak ,  when stimulated , I had a late night chat with my sister Shelia last night 
very fruitful  conversation  , for me this is when we both get blessed 
and just now when anyone reading , all are blessed by God 
  I just   wanted to share this also , only because it helped me alot  and can go right along with what everyone here  has shared about ego /self
  and its to do with the soul  /self   and the  animal [beast nature ]   its run on a seat  of emotions  , by instinct    with  self /love or preservation       , I know a man whom used to share on forums long ago  called   Loxoco   , anyone remember him ?   
  this    dear one , helped me alot  along the way with his sharing  of understanding  , and oddly I have never forgot him nor what he shared

He said ,   the animal   soul is afraid of the fire  , have you ever watched an animal near fire ?
well the  God of Love and jealousy is a consuming FIRE !         that fear was instinct   set in the animal soul all life has this form of fear in them    , so you see it seems    many   Christains  still are   running on the animal instinct of the soul  and NOT THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD  ,   that  is the consuming fire !!     I thought it was  revelatory    back than !    never dawned on me to think in that manner

but "opened my eye of understanding    this simple distinction

between the soul and spirit in mankind     
  another thing that blessed me was  seeing  that God  blew the breath of life in the nostrils of mankind      and that makes  him no different than    a beast , we have some scriptures  that  also  tell us this   , the nostrils  means of the face and anger is the main   emotion  explained  !!!   
  why the nostrils ?  and not the mouth ? and why is anger  172 times the main theme  for the nostrils 

where the breath of life  in mankind  formed by God  no different than an animals nature ?

        where the Spirit and how that'' born again '' would come from , just as Adam / mankind was made originally in Gods image   in Gen  1 ;26 -30

  seems  mankind was made  first Spirit  and than soul  , and Hebrews 4 ;12   where the dividing of the soul and spirit is  done by Gods own  WORD /SWORD !   wow to me , just wow !our own seperating  that God does to each and everyone of us  by the thoughts and intents of the heart and what    is sitting in that  seat    that is ruling in us !  the Spirit of Christ in God or the seat of the beast / satan   

  when God made Adam/ mankind  and living soul   in  Gen 2 ;7 as Michah   brought up made me think of this again !!


Gen 2:7   And the LORD God formed 3335 man [of] the dust of  the ground 127, and breathed 5301 into his nostrils 639 the breath  of life ; and man 120 became a living 2416 soul 5315.
Strong's H5315 - nephesh 1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion

a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man

b) living being

c) living being (with life in the blood)

d) the man himself, self, person or individual

e) seat of the appetitesf) seat of emotions and passions
g) activity of mind

1) dubious

h) activity of the will

1) dubious

i) activity of the character

1) dubious




Strong's H639 - 'aph
1) nostril, nose, face

2) anger
AV — anger 172, wrath 42, face 22, nostrils 13, nose 12, angry 4, longsuffering + 0750 4, before 2, countenance 1, forbearing 1, forehead 1, snout 1, worthy 1

  there is so much  more to share than this , but its  joining with the others in this conversation

  God bless

[sheila]

Yes, ,sown a natural[carnal] body[if a beast touch the mountain he can not live[see vision of sheet

come down from heaven x's 3,then go up again rise Peter kill nd eat] wisdom hath slain her beasts

   the soul that is sinning will die[miss the mark]....and of course Micah's scripture man as the beasts etc

    Raised a spiritual body...........all fits...we aare double souled...the shoe fits..and does not wear out

   double souled= outer man perish,inner man renewed day by day...

   see when we becom joined with the Christ/seed we becone one flesh/one spirit..with Him=new

creature

    I love it when the Holy spirit opens up things like this!!!

   Wisdom is justified of all her children..[craftsman at His side]

  we are wonderfully and awesomely made