The Ultimate Egotist

Egotism refers to "preoccupation with one's ego or self. Egotism is the common word for obtrusive and excessive reference to and emphasis upon oneself and one's own importance." We understand that. Egotism is not a good thing. Conceit. Bad.

Enter God. God declares that everything that was made was created through Him and for Him (Col 1:16). Talk about an ego! According to Christianity, the chief end of Man -- the primary reason for which we were made -- is "to enjoy God and glorify Him forever." Or, as Piper puts it, we are made to enjoy God by glorifying Him forever. And with this claim comes the accusation that God is the ultimate egotist.

There are two considerations when thinking about this. First, the concept of egotism assumes that the preoccupation with self is a faulty one. It is an inflated one. And, indeed, since human beings tend to think of themselves as the center of the universe, that would qualify as egotism. But God is not in the same category. He is the center of the universe. His view of Himself isn't overblown; it's accurate. He thinks of Himself as the Ultimate Being because He is the Ultimate Being. As such, God is not technically an egotist; He's a realist. In fact, if it is wrong to worship anyone in place of God, then God would be wrong to worship anyone in place of Himself.

If that were the end of the conversation, it would be sufficient. He demands glory because He deserves it. We are to focus on Him because He is the highest possible One on which to focus. It's reality, not egotism. Still, that's not the end of it.

According to Scripture, we were made for the purpose of glorifying God. Isaiah says, "I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' And to the south, 'Do not hold them back.' Bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the ends of the earth, everyone who is called by My name, and whom I have created for My glory, whom I have formed, even whom I have made" (Isa 43:6-7). The blessings that believers are given are "to the praise of the glory of His grace" (Eph 1:6, 12, 14). It is our purpose in life.

So consider this. It is reasonable to say that a greyhound is a runner. These dogs are built for speed. They love to run. It is their joy in life. Buy a greyhound and keep it in a cage in your backyard, and you might have a safe greyhound, but it will be a miserable greyhound. These dogs find their greatest fulfillment in running.

Even so, we were built to glorify God. Now, God deserves our attention and is due all the glory we can give Him, but it doesn't stop there. In offering Himself to us to glorify Him, He's not simply using us for His ends. He is giving us our greatest pleasure. He is offering us our fullest joy. By allowing us to glorify Him, He is giving us life abundant.

Are we being used? If "being used" means "seeing the reality of who God is and exulting in it", then we are being used. If "being used" means "allowed to enjoy all of our existence to the fullest extent", then we are being used. And if recognizing and acknowledging the truth about Himself without exaggeration or diminishing the truth is egotism, then God is the ultimate egotist. And all of that is a good thing -- a very good thing.