“James [James 3:13-18] is also leery about us counseling others, for what is offered as wisdom can be based on pride and other sinful passions. Self-centered faith will manifest itself in self-centered works, in this case “helping” others.” (Orthodox Study Bible, James 3:13-18)
“The mind is the great defense system we need to process all the information we receive. However, in so doing, the mind is self-centered, judgmental, and fearful of attack. It expects and assumes the worst from the world, from other people, and ultimately from God. Every detail in the universe is measured by the mind against its usefulness to the mind’s story of the self, the ego. The mind attempts to replace the real center of being, the heart, with a center of its own creation.” (Father Stephen Freeman)
“We do not like to think of ourselves as selfish or self-centered egotists. But if we were to be completely honest with ourselves, we would be forced to admit that we have a strong tendency in that direction…“In those times when all was going well, when it seemed that nothing could go wrong and when I thought that I was doing a wonderful job, I would look up at the saying and I would be reminded that this too, shall pass away. I was chastened by the thought that I was becoming self-assured, self-centered, and full of pride for what I thought were my many accomplishments. I was reminded that it is God who gives the increase.” (Fr. Andrew Demotses)
“…Christianity affirms the self, but as dependent for its very existence upon the creative power of God and the redemptive grace of Christ. Each and every one of us is created, sustained, and guided by God toward a destiny so glorious that it is essentially indescribable. It is this humble acknowledgment of dependence on God that becomes the foundation of that long process that will lead us from being “self-centered” to being “God-centered.” Perhaps we can go so far as to say: we seek to be saved from our “self” in order to truly be ourselves in the embrace of God. Today’s world seems oblivious of this promise.” (Fr. Stephen Kostoff)
“Contemplation is the way out of the great self-centered psychodrama. When interior silence is discovered, compassion flows. If we deepen our inner silence, our compassion for others is deepened.” (Martin Laird)
“Pride believes that we are the center of our own realities and that our human efforts can forge a meaningful life without God…We are so instinctively and profoundly self-centered that we don't think we are.” (Kevin Scherer, Pastor Timothy Keller)
“At the core of today’s rejection of God, rejection of the Church and faith, is a subtle, yet deeply embedded self-centeredness. It seems that if life and the universe don’t make sense according to how we think it should be, then anything that says otherwise, such as the Gospel that teaches suffering and evil truly exist, you will suffer, but one day God will put an end to all suffering and evil, is rejected on the basis of what we think it should say instead.” (Sacramental Living Ministries)
“After years of testing and development, the Army unveiled a major new marketing program with the tagline, “an army of one.” It is odd to hear an institution so deeply linked with teamwork, community, and sacrifice being promoted with a phrase placing all the emphasis on the individual. To be fair, the campaign was also intended communicate that it was about one army with one vision and one mission. But, the recruiters who built the campaign also clearly stated that they felt the best way for them to reach young people today was to strike a note that on the surface appealed to self-centeredness.” (Douglas Cramer)
“How could intelligent people turn to idolatry? Idolatry begins when people reject what they know about God. Instead of looking to him as the creator and sustainer of life, they see themselves as the center of the universe. They soon invent “gods” that are convenient projections of their own selfish ideas. These gods may be wooden figures, or they may also be goals or things we pursue, such as money, power, or possessions. They may even be misrepresentations of God himself—making God in our image, instead of the reverse. The common denominator is this: Idolaters worship the things God made rather than God himself.” (Life Application Study Bible, Romans 1:21-23)
“There is no wisdom apart from centering in on and responding to the love of God….if we are to bring peace into the world, it starts with us, with our individual witness for God, in peace and in service to others. If we truly want peace, we must first do what is pleasing to God by making Him the source and center of our lives. Then we can find peace as individuals, and then in small groups and then in large groups and then build from there.” (Foundation Study Bible, Psalms 107:43, Fr. Stavros N. Akrotirianakis)
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