Years ago, while she was enjoying a transatlantic ocean trip, Billie Burke, the famous actress, noticed that a gentleman at the next table was suffering from a cold. She asked him sympathetically, "Are you uncomfortable?" The man nodded. She said, "I'll tell you just what to do for it. Go back to your stateroom and drink lots of orange juice. Take two aspirins. Cover yourself with all the blankets you can find. Sweat the cold out. I know just what I'm talking about. I'm Billie Burke from Hollywood." The man smiled warmly and introduced himself in return. He said, "Thanks, I'm Dr. Mayo of the Mayo Clinic."
Hebrews 12:1 states: Therefore since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us.
The question for scholars concerning that passage is, to what sin does it refer? Is it the different sins with which individuals uniquely struggle? Or is it the one sin that we know as the old sin nature of which it speaks? Well, there is a a besetting sin with which we all struggle. Some call it self or ego. Others would say it is simply pride.
Regardless of what you call it, the burden we carry each day is that of the ego (pride). It is a cruel, crushing burden that never lets up. It never allows you a minute of relaxation. Its insecurity zaps you of your energy and peace. It wears away your strength, your morale, your life.
Caleb C. Colton said, "Pride, like the magnet, constantly points to one object: self. Unlike the magnet, it has no attracting pole, but at all points repels."
James, in his third chapter, spoke about what caused conflict in the church in his day. There were simply two descriptions given. One would think that there would be a long laundry list of problems. James simply said it was envy and selfish ambition, each of which reeks with pride. That makes a lot of sense to me because ego keeps you forever tense and dissatisfied, forever in agony, lest someone else appear better, smarter, richer, more liked, more successful, more admired, more spiritual, more "blessed".
In the body of Christ it can raise its head with "I have it all together" or "I have arrived at complete knowledge" or "I don't need anyone praying for me, for I have this thing wired!"
Sadly, there are many believers who believe their press-clippings or all the accolades that they receive from others in the body of Christ, which leads more to a swollen head than a humble heart. I know, because I have been there myself...more than I want to admit.
Here is the problem. The more that pride/ego occupies the throne room of my life, the further I will be from the Lord. What is that I hear? You say, "Why?" It is very clear that arguably the thing God hates most in the heart of a believer is that of pride. The reason He hates pride is because the more pride we have, the less we recognize our need for dependence upon God daily in our lives. We essentially become little kings of our own kingdom instead of servants in God's kingdom.
Ego is a terrible burden and the only answer to that is humility, brought on by our brokenness over sin... and yes, even over our own self-sufficiency instead of God-sufficiency.
Jesus says, "Come to me all who are burdened and heavy laden and I will give you rest."
We find rest in Christ when we are willing to nail our ego to the cross. I say to Christ, "My ego, envy, selfish ambition, desire for control must all die so He might reign without rival."
Charles Swindoll said it best: "What is it God wants me to do? To hold things loosely, that He might reign without rival with no threat to His throne and with just enough splinters in my pride to keep my hands empty and my heart warm."