Less Ego, More God

Last Sunday, I had the privilege of standing in for our minister while she was away, leading a service. As I reflected on the experience, I was struck by something deeply personal that I feel compelled to share. The sermon, the prayers, the ministry and then the reflection—all of it brought to light a humbling truth: the more we allow our egos to be stripped away, the more we make room for God to work through us.

Reflecting on the past week I have given some thought about how much energy we expend maintaining our "false self"—the part of us that craves recognition, approval, and validation. The part that performs, acts, or pretends to be something we’re not, all in an attempt to be seen or heard in a particular way. And yet, in the moments when we allow this false self to be laid bare, there’s a kind of freedom that emerges—freedom from the pressure to "perform," and freedom to simply be present in the truth of who we are before God. The less pretence, the more freedom. The less acting, the more authenticity. Actually one of my favourite songs at the moment on my playlist is Freedom (Live) by Jesus Culture.  That freedom I am speaking about tho is the result of what we might call an ego-decrease, and as we decrease in our own self-importance, God’s power increases.

I felt this truth so clearly a week on reflecting with my friend Peter. As I stepped into that space of leadership, I realised how often my own insecurities and desires for recognition have gotten in the way of fully surrendering to God's will. Tonight, I experienced something profound: a stripping away of some of those layers that I have, at times, been so attached to. And it feels good. It feels right. There’s something so healing in letting go of the need to control how others perceive us.

In the midst of this, I came across a prayer from A.W. Tozer that captured my heart and my experience. This prayer speaks directly to the struggle many of us face in our spiritual journey—the struggle to let go of the ego, to surrender our need for recognition, and to humble ourselves before God.

Tozer wrote:

"O Christ, make me strong to overcome the desire to be wise and to be reputed wise by others as ignorant as myself. I turn from my wisdom as well as from my folly and flee to You, the wisdom of God and the power of God. Amen." (The Knowledge of the Holy,1961)

This prayer expresses a desire deep within my heart: to move beyond the pride that seeks to be seen and respected by others, to a place of deeper dependence on God’s wisdom alone. I can’t tell you how often I’ve found myself secretly hoping for recognition or wanting to appear wiser or more capable than I truly am. But the truth is, this desire for self-importance comes from a wounded, unhealed place in the heart. And if I’m honest with myself, the less I hold on to that, the more I open myself to God’s true wisdom and power.

And so, as I reflect on my own journey and the experience of preaching and leading that service, I find myself praying for more freedom from this self-centeredness, more freedom from the false self that keeps me tethered to the things of this world. I pray for the ego to be defeated so that the great “I Am” can fill that space.

I encourage you to pray this prayer throughout your day as well. Pray that your ego would decrease, and that the presence of God would increase in your life. Let go of the desire to be recognized or esteemed by others, and make room for the power and wisdom of God to take center stage in your heart.

There’s a divine increase that comes when we let go of our own desire for greatness. We may not be noticed by the world, but we will be seen and known by the One who matters most.

Let’s pray for the ego to be defeated, and for the great “I Am” to be glorified in us.