To be self-centered, perceiving the world around us as the means to serve our own goals and purposes, is a manifestation of the fallen nature in Man.
We were not created to be self-centered, living to please ourselves. We were created to glorify God.
When under the influence of our fallen nature, we can become quite hostile towards anyone or anything that gets in the way of what we desire to do, to have, or to experience.
We can become bitter towards anyone or anything that we hold responsible for holding us back, or preventing us from achieving our goals.
We can become jealous and envious of those who have what we want. This is especially true when it concerns the things that we believe we deserve, and that the ones who have such things do not deserve.
Whenever we are under the influence of the fallen nature, the devil has us right where he wants us to be. He will do all he can to encourage us to remain there. The devil can do nothing to take away the salvation of a born-again believer, but one will not move forward in the post salvation plan of God as long as he or she chooses to function under the influence of the self-centered, fallen nature.
As of the Church Age, believers are called to be Christ-centered.
We, when under the influence of this fallen nature, do not like to be told what we must do, can do, or can’t do, by anyone, or anything, be it God, a person in delegated divine authority (husband/parent) or organizational (boss/teacher/governmental official) authority.
Respect for authority is a fundamental part of the life of discipleship. It begins by acknowledging that all authority comes from God.
“…For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God (Rom. 13: 1 NASB2020).”
Unless obedience to a person in a position of delegated divine authority, or in a position of systrematic or organizational authority, would cause one to disobey God (1), compliance with authority is not an option, it is a command.
The fallen nature is not merely inclined to dislike authority; it is inherently hostile (2) towards it.
To surrender any part of our individual freedom or personal plans does not come naturally, unless we see something to be gained in the process.
Should our expectations in any compromised agreement fail to materialize, or be later discontinued, the hostile, independent nature within us is going to desire to end the arrangements and get our independent lives back.
For many “Christians,” this is true in their relationship with God.
They go to Him seeking His blessings, but should some of them fail to materialize or be taken away, their passion for God and the things of God cools down. They are content to know that their salvation is secure, but have no genuine interest in post salvation discipleship.
When under the hostile influence of the fallen nature, we are inclined to blame God for all of the prosperity that we are denied, and all of the adversity that He sends or allows to take place, especially when such things “rain on our parade,” temporarily or permanently changing or cancelling what we had planned for ourselves.
After all (we rationalize), He was and is in a position and had and has the power to prevent or to cause what we want to have happen to take place, but has said No, or at least not right now, to our prayer requests.
What it all comes down to is a matter of whose will and plans are going to prevail. Do we see God as being there to fulfill our plans, or do we see ourselves as being here to fulfill His?
If it is to be His, then we, like Job (3), must acknowledge that any prosperity that we are denied or lose, and any adversity that God sends or allows to take place, are parts of the individual plan that God has in store for us, as one of His followers.
End of Part One
1) Acts 5: 29 (2) Rom. 8: 7, 8 (3) Job 2: 10