Is God an Egomaniac?

The God Who is Zealous for His Own Glory

If you read an article about a philanthropist giving away his possessions to call attention to his greatness, you would (and should) think "what an egomaniac! He doesn't actually care about people, just about himself". Yet, the picture we get from reading the scriptures is of a God who constantly calls attention to his greatness.

The Bible is soaked with the theme of God’s zealousness to reveal His Glory to all of creation. All of creation is called to live for the Glory of God. He created and redeemed a people to the praise of His Glory so that His manifold wisdom might be made known to even the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms (Isaiah 48:9–11, Ephesians 1:6, Ephesians 1:14). For the sake of his name, of his glory and fame, he has dealt in various ways with his people throughout human history.  This begs the question: Is God an egomaniac?

Is God an Egomaniac?

The APA (American Psychological Association) defines egomania as an “extreme, pathological preoccupation with oneself, often characterized by an exaggerated sense of one’s abilities and worth. This includes the tendency to be totally self-centered, callous with regard to the needs of others, and interested only in the gratification of one’s own impulses and desires.” (Egomania, APA). Let’s examine each item in this definition and compare it with the character of God revealed in the Scriptures:

• 1. Exaggerated Sense of One’s Abilities and Worth?

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable” (Isaiah 40:28).

“By him [Christ] all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him, all things hold together... He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent” (Colossians 1:16-18).

“he [Christ] upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3).

“For when God made a promise to Abraham since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself” (Hebrews 6:13).

• 2. Extreme Preoccupation With Oneself?

Tendency to be totally self-centered, callous about the needs of others, and interested only in the gratification of one’s own impulses and desires?

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life”(John 3:16).

“… love is from God … God is love. In this, the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:7-10).

“Christ Jesus, … though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:5-8).

Most Worthy of Them All

So, does God have a self-centered, callous preoccupation with himself infused by a delusion about his abilities and worth? Of course not! Who is more worthy of Praise and Glory and Honor than God? He is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. All things. He spoke the universe into existence. He proclaimed and they came to be. By his power, he upholds the entire universe! Who is more humble than Love Himself? Being rich in mercy because of his great love for us, he laid down his life for us, took the punishment of sin on the cross to reconcile us to himself, and give us eternal life, freely and abundantly.

I have only scratched the surface here. Even if I tried, it would be impossible to explain all the ways in which God is the only one worthy of all Praise, Glory, and Honor.

Why Is God so Zealous to Display His Glory?

God's jealousy for the Glory of His name is actually an expression of his great love for us. Beholding the Glory of God is how human beings flourish. That is what we were made to do. Beholding the Glory of God, we are transformed into the image of Christ from one degree of glory to another (2 Corinthians 3:18). Beholding the Glory of God, we walk in The Light, in sanctification, in peace, in joy, in fellowship with the Triune God and with one another (2 Corinthians 3:18; 4:4; 4:6, Acts 26:18, John 17:24,1 John 1:1-3). Why would God not point us to His Glory then? Why would He let us be deceived by counterfeit versions of it that lead only to our destruction? It would be unloving of God to point us to anything else than that which brings us the greatest good, His Glory.

So, the next time you witness God’s passion for His own Glory, you are effectively seeing God’s heart and devotion to your good!

Praise Him! Amen.