Dangers of Egoism

There is ample warning in both the Old and New Testaments about the dangers of egoism and pride. But, sometimes, we make better decisions when we see the risk ahead. 

It Leads to Destruction 
The Bible says, "First pride, then the crash- the bigger the ego, the harder the fall. (Proverbs 16:18 MSG)

Ego has destroyed many lives and glorious destinies in the Bible, and we can also see them around us. The capital end of anyone driven by ego is destruction. Let's examine the life of king Uzziah. 

The Bible says, 2 Chronicles 26:1-5, "Now all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father, Amaziah. He built Elath and restored it to Judah after the king rested with his fathers. Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned for fifty-two years in Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper."

Uzziah was enthroned as a teenager and followed the instructions, advice and counsel of his father and prophet, Zechariah. He did as he was told, and His reign was prosperous. Because of his humility, God was with him and helped him marvellously. Then, his ego crept in, and he felt he could do it all without people and God. 

The Bible says in 2 Chronicles 26:16-21, "But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the Lord his God by entering the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. So Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him were eighty priests of the Lord — valiant men. And they withstood King Uzziah and said to him, "It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed! You shall have no honour from the Lord God." Then Uzziah became furious; and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense. And while he was angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead, before the priests in the house of the Lord, beside the incense altar. And Azariah, the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and there, on his forehead, he was leprous, so they thrust him out of that place. Indeed he also hurried to get out because the Lord had struck him. King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his death. He dwelt in an isolated house, because he was a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the Lord."

In the Old Testament, it was forbidden to combine the offices of the king and priest. You could either be a king or a priest - not both.

King Uzziah of Judah is an example of a man who tried to combine the two offices and paid the penalty for it with leprosy because of his ego.

Because of his ego, he failed to reflect on his behaviour and the impact it would have on himself and his kingdom. As a result, he lost his place before God and the people and was banished from the palace. The Bible says the Lord struck him. God doesn't encourage ego in any form; His response is strict judgment. Do you want to last on the throne? Fight the enemy called ego from your heart.

It can lead to a lack of motivation to contribute to society 
When individuals are solely focused on their own gain and self-interest, they may not see value in contributing to the greater good. This can lead to a lack of engagement in community and civic activities and, ultimately, a lack of social cohesion.

In Ezekiel 22:30, God says, He sought a man among the people who would stand in the gap and intercede for the land so that judgement would not fall. Unfortunately, God found no one to intercede, and judgement fell; Jerusalem was destroyed.

I see this happening in the body of Christ, and it is a dangerous precedent. If there is a prophet in town who is moving in the prophetic, they will leave everything behind to get a prophetic word for themselves. But when it comes to interceding for the community or the city, there is hardly anyone. Intercession has the power to transform communities, and history has proven that. But you see how 'ego' has taken precedence.