In the bustling city of Corinth, the early church found itself divided by factions, driven by personal pride and the desire for status. Paul, in his letters to the Corinthians, addresses this root problem—ego. Ego, our sense of self-esteem, can become a black hole, an insatiable void that consumes everything around it and yet is never filled.
Paul’s teachings in 1 Corinthians highlight the dangers of an overinflated ego. He writes, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives among you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple… Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become ‘fools’ so that you may become wise” (1 Corinthians 3:16-18). Here, Paul is urging the Corinthians to abandon their ego-driven pursuits and recognize their true identity in God.
The Black Hole of Human Ego
A black hole in space is a region where the gravitational pull is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape. This metaphor aptly describes the human ego. The ego, when unchecked, becomes an all-consuming force, trapping individuals in a cycle of comparison and boasting. It creates an emptiness that can never be satisfied, a darkness that consumes joy and peace.
The Condition of the Human Ego
1. Empty: At the center of an overinflated ego is a profound emptiness. Philosopher Søren Kierkegaard noted, “It is the normal state of the human heart to try to build its identity around something besides God.” This spiritual pride leads us to believe we can find meaning and worth apart from God, yet it leaves us hollow.2. Painful: A distended ego is not just empty; it’s painful. Just as we don’t notice parts of our body until something is wrong, our ego only draws attention to itself when it’s hurting. The constant feeling of being snubbed or ignored, of feeling inferior or inadequate, signals that something is wrong with our ego.3. Busy: The ego is always busy, frantically trying to fill its emptiness through comparison and boasting. Paul addresses this by advising, “Then you will not take pride in one man over against another” (1 Corinthians 4:6). Our ego’s incessant need to measure itself against others traps us in a cycle of dissatisfaction.4. Fragile: Ego is fragile, constantly afraid of losing what it has. Madonna once confessed, “My drive in life comes from a fear of being mediocre. I push past one spell of it and discover myself as a special human being, but then I feel I am still mediocre and uninteresting unless I do something else.” This insatiable hunger for validation reveals the fragile nature of the ego.
The Answer to the Black Hole
1. Stop Judging, Even Ourselves: Paul writes, “I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself” (1 Corinthians 4:3). We must cease linking our performance to our self-worth and stop judging ourselves based on our achievements or others’ opinions.2. Think About Ourselves Less: True humility, as C.S. Lewis explains, is not thinking less of ourselves but thinking of ourselves less. A truly humble person is more interested in others, not because they consider themselves a nobody, but because they are free from the need to constantly measure themselves.3. Get Our Identity from God’s View: To escape the black hole of ego, we must derive our identity from God’s perspective. As Paul writes, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:19-20). Our worth and identity are secure in Christ.
Embracing Our True Identity
God’s view of us is what ultimately defines us. “And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased’” (Matthew 3:17). We are chosen, called, forgiven, righteous, loved, and justified. We are not defined by what others say, what the world says, or even what we say about ourselves. We are who God says we are.
To break free from the black hole of ego, we must stop judging ourselves and others, think about ourselves less, and root our identity in God’s view of us. Only then can we escape the gravitational pull of our overinflated egos and live in the freedom and fullness of God’s love
Paul Benger 