Blog 638 – 05.20.2017
Selfish Or Just Deceived

What a lot of people think of as being selfish is not really being selfish at all but egotistical. The ego is really a Frankenstein monster created by man to take the place of the true Creator. Call that God or your higher best Self I can work with both. To put our true self first, not ego, is not a problem but failing to do so is a big problem. Ego’s priority is always to perpetuate his own existence and to attempt to destroy us. When all his other arguments fail he/she would have us commit suicide. “Show them, they’ll be sorry.” he whispers. But our truer higher self knows better and will always shine through, and float to the top if we just relax and allow that to happen.

Ego would keep us always stressed and tormented with his/ her lies and “bait and switch” tactics till we are tricked into believing that we are hopeless and that our life just is not worth living. It think that the Satan character in all of the stories is just puny little ego in disguise. I read the Bible quite a lot as a young man and one story that I always found remarkable was the temptation of Christ by Satan after he, Jesus, had fasted and prayed for forty days in the wilderness. It is just like ole ego to attack us when we are tired, exhausted, and weak, to sneak up on us from behind so to speak. Gaston, in Beauty And The Beast, is letting his ego talk when he sings with his buddy:

Gaston: “When I hunt I sneak up with my quiver
                 And beasts of the field say a prayer
                 First I carefully aim for the liver
                 And I shoot from behind.”
LaFou:    “Is that fair?”
Gaston   “I don’t care.”

But back to The Temptation Of Christ, in one particularly interesting scene Satan/ego places Jesus up on the pinnacle of the Temple and appeals to the desire in him and in all of us to be recognized for who we are then ego tempts him saying throw yourself off and they will worship you for is it not written, “His angels will watch over him and bear him up lest he strike his foot against the stones.” Satan/ego knows and loves to quote the Bible.” But Jesus knew better and Bible slapped him right back: “It is also written, you shall not tempt the LORD your God.” Score, Jesus seven, ego none. Great story but very interesting that even Jesus was tempted by suicidal thoughts. His disciples thought it was suicidal of him to go to Jerusalem knowing what waited for him there. But he was on a mission for God and us, like the Blues Brothers, as all of us really are if you think about it – a selfish mission designed by our Higher Self not just for our good but everyone’s. That Papa can really write a great story and a happy ending. He/She does those best of all but we sometimes have to wait to the very end of the story to see how She/He works it all out in every delicious detail.

Self love, small ego-deceived minds have always taught against and still do but I refer you again to Jesus’ two commandments that he said fulfilled all the Law and the Prophets, the Bible of his day:

“Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.
 And love your neighbor as you love yourself.”

If you don’t love yourself do you really love God or anybody else? Think about it or better yet – just love yourself, God, and everybody. That is our mission, Jim, Jane. We are the IMF Force. With Love, nothing, and no mission is impossible. It just may take a little longer.

Your friend and fellow traveler,
David White