so true! In my marriage… wondering how much of ME-ism is contributing to conflicts about creating an US-partnership. How much of what I want is hindering God from stepping in and forming what He wants.

So question… God created us to be a “me”… though we are created in His image… He created us with unique drives, personalities, gifts, etc (we are not carbon copies of Him or each other).

How do we embrace GOD-in-us and allow His spirit to flow freely… while simultaneously decreasing me-centeredness BUT not negate the “personhood” of who God has created us to be? Because often complete self-negation is just the opposite of self-promotion – just a different side of the same coin… the focus is still on “self”…

There has to be a healthy way to view “self” in relation to “God” that doesn't negate either… {i hope?}

Sorta. Hypocritical judgement is “when we judge people [using] OUR prejudices, OUR upbringing, OUR values, OUR set of rules, and even our own failures…”. We have to make a choice between what is right and what is sin. When we see sin (Biblical sin) in another Christian we have to, as a brother or sister in Christ, make a judgement. Not hypocritically to bring them down and us up, but selflessly to bring a sinner back to Christ. (John 7:24)

It's the ME-judging that gives “judging” a bad wrap.

A short article about judging. http://www.gotquestions.org/do-not-judge.html

Good thoughts, Mike.
Have you read War of Art? I just finished it and need to read it again. The author Pressfield, calls what you call Self, our Ego. And that our Ego pulls us away from our true self.

Pressfield urges us to act like we have a week to live. If we were going to die of cancer, would we take up piano, write a book, call our brother and say we are sorry?

I am totally with you, brother. Speaking of which, I need to call my brother.

i havent read it but ive heard alot about the book! guess i should probably buy it now

just a follow up question that i would love to hear you comment on would be…as you apply the Biblical judgment to someone is that not contaminated in part by self…its sort of would play into why we judge harshly for certain activities(sex,etc) and tend to ignore things like gluttony or materialism…just a thot…

Yeah, that's a big challenge. Starting each day out with a little mantra seems to help: Today is not about me.

It's a little thing, but it's helped me to remember others as Jesus did (does).

great thots jenny…i would love to hear others input on this…i think its a really important question…

Are you asking why we look at sin as having degrees of how “bad” it is? Like murder is a horrible sin but a white lie is not so bad?

I believe that it is the human nature of sin. We don't see sin like God does. To God, sin is black and white. It's sin or it isn't. Our humanity allows for gray area. Most social controversies are due to the gray area. Society doesn't see the Bible as the ultimate standard to live by and has it's own opinion of right and wrong. That opinion (the secular “standard”) changes every day. The Bible does not.

There is no perfect judge (on earth). I am, by no means, perfect. When I see a Christian friend in sin, it hurts – especially if it's something I've been through and conquered. It hurts, too, when a brother or sister in Christ sins and it publically affects their Christian witness. In the past month I've been called a hypocrite twice for calling someone out in their sin (respectfully, of course). The individual was being congratulated and was rejoicing in a sin.

I do agree that we have a hard time making judgments without inflicting our own non-Biblical opinions. The “me” comes out so easily.

Yep… we do need rehab. Some major rehab.

Good thoughts here. Jenny touched on my question/thoughts. I think many Christians would agree that ME is an issue in our faith and in our lives, and that it needs to change. Like in this post we say we need to change, we need to abandon control, we need to be clean, we need to repent.

What I am have not experienced/learned and I think is absent from a lot of The Church, is direction on the HOW. HOW are we to live this out? How are we move past self? What does that even look like? We are supposed to surrender to God and let him be first, but HOW? HOW are we supposed to accept the grace given to us and become people that live out that radical grace in relation to others?

Sometimes I wonder if this is what a lot of non-believers are asking too. They hear the things they are supposed to do, but do not know the HOW. There is a difference between being told to catch a fish and being taught how to.

It took me literally years to wrap my head around this concept. Good word!

Great book on this topic, “Stop the Pain” by James B. Richards.

It took me literally years to wrap my head around this concept. Good word!

Great book on this topic, “Stop the Pain” by James B. Richards.

[...] Gibson. Next is Paul Tripp with Grace: Right Here, Right Now. Last, but not least, Mike Foster with Self Is Our Meth: Let’s Go to Rehab and Strippers Protest and Bikinis at Church.               [...]