Complete
this prayer: “Lord, deliver us from….? Why is that your chief
concern? (Serendipity Bible 10th Anniversary Edition, page
1292).
Egocentrism
defined:
Concern
for your own interests and welfare (WordWeb Pro).
limited
in outlook or concern to one's own activities or needs b :
SELF-CENTERED, SELFISH (Merriam-Webster).
My
chief concern from an individual as well as organizational
perspective is the blindness that can derive from egocentrism.
America’s national hymn has become in an informal sense “Amazing
Grace” which was written by John Newton. He had been a slave trader
until his eyes were opened by Amazing Grace as he described it.
Surely my focus and concern is in the power of egocentrism – not
with the lack of power of the Holy Spirit. In this sense I am an
incorrigible optimist.
Egocentrism
strongly influences perception and hence a rather limited and
shortsighted view of self-interest becomes the prime decision rule of
either an individual or society and fear the prime motivator. Another
name for such a perspective is overweening pride (which is based on
fear) in which all options are discounted except those perceived as
buttressing personal strength and integrity viewed myopically. In my
own lifetime I have seen nations fully vest dubious conflicts in an
unlimited fashion when honor became defined in an egocentric manner
rather than more broadly encompassing the human enterprise as hopeful
rather than fearful.
I
have mentored children some with and some without fathers. Almost
without exception those with fathers were less agitated than those
without. It is in this sense that the belief in a loving heavenly
father is consistent with an assurance that enables peaceful and
creative solutions to conflict – a beneficent Supreme Being
essential for our traveling down hopeful and creative paths to peace.
This of course makes no sense to materialists who wish to be
absolutely practical. However it is repeatedly demonstrated that the
most practical and effective view always encompasses spiritual
intangibles only dimly understood as to their necessity and power in
human affairs.
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