We are often a captive people. Captive to the opinions of others. Captive to our own opinion. There are very few people who I meet who seem genuinely free. Tim Keller says the reason is because we are a people consumed with ourselves and the true freedom can only come by forgetting ourselves. In this incredibly helpful book Keller unpacks why you should forget yourself, and how to forget yourself. In the battle for gospel-centered humility this book is a great resource.
Self-esteem is sometimes a really stupid idea. The “low sel-esteem” theory suggests that it is the root of cause of so many of our world’s and our personal problems. Are you addict? It’s probably because you have low self-esteem. Do you beat your wife? It’s probably because you have low-self-esteem. If there’s a place for a discussion about low self-esteem it is a limited one, and the manner in which our culture applies it to nearly every problem is not just ridiculous but rather dangerous. As Keller writes:
You see the thing about the “low-self-esteem theory of misbehavior” is that it is very attractive. You do not have to make any moral judgments in order to deal with society’s problems. All you have to do is support people and build them up. (12)
The low self-esteem theory of misbehavior removes morality from the equation, Keller says. Building ourselves up, then, is not the solution to dealing with our society or ourselves. God has a different pattern and a different solution for us, but Keller first has to help us understand the human ego.
Because of sin, Keller argues, the human ego is “overinflated, swollen, distended beyond its proper size” (13). He then lists four characteristics of this proud ego: it is empty, painful, busy, and fragile. He paints a picture for us an ego in its natural state as sick because of sin. “The ego that is puffed up and overinflated has nothing at its centre. it is empty” (14). My ego is always drawing attention to itself because it needs more it hurts and aches. Keller compares it to a body part. You don’t think about your toes or your elbows unless there is something wrong with them. It’s the same with your ego. It is broken. The ego is busy trying to get more to gain more, it hurts for more attention so it is busy trying to get more to garner that attention. Finally the ego is fragile. “Anything that is overinflated is in imminent danger of being deflated – like an overinflated balloon” (20). He writes:
A superiority complex and an inferiority complex are basically the same. They are both results of being overinflated. The person with the superiority complex is overinflated and in danger of being deflated; the person with an inferority complex is deflated already…it’s all the same. And it makes the ego fragile. (21)
If this is the natural state of the human ego, then we need a “Transformed view of the self.”
This little booklet is essentially an exposition of 1 Corinthians 3:21-4:7 with a focused application on the self. Keller tells us how Paul got this transformed view of the self. In verses 3-4 Paull tells us that he doesn’t care about the verdict others give him. He doesn’t care what anyone else thinks about him. But neither does he care what he thinks about himself. This is a bit different. We often say to others or confirm for ourselves that the only opinion that matters is our own. But not for Paul. Keller writes that Paul is not basing his identity on the opinions of others or nor is he trying to live up to his own determined standards of worth. That’s a trap.
Finally Keller asks, “how can we get this transformed view of the self?” His answer leads us to the final chapter of the book. Keller writes:
What Paul is looking for, what Madonna is looking for, what we are all looking for, is an ultimate verdict that we are important and valuable. We look for that ultimate verdict every day in all situations and people around us. And that means that every single day, we are on trial. (37-38).
In one sense, then, Keller concludes, we are all looking for justification. But others cannot justify us, nor can we justify ourselves. He writes “Do you realize that it is only in the gospel of Jesus Christ that you get the verdict” (39). And it is not because of what we have done, the verdict comes before the performance, Keller says.
In the battle for genuine humility this is such a useful book because it highlights for us the ultimate trap and failure of thinking about ourselves. Low self-esteem and high self-esteem come from the same place: thinking about ourselves. Keller argues true freedom comes when we stop thinking about ourselves. It’s not about, then, what we have done, what we have accomplished, and how that compares to what others have accomplished. In Christ the accomplishment belongs to Jesus and “I simply need to ask God to accept me because of what the Lord Jesus has done. Then the only person whose opinion counts looks at me and He finds me more valuable than all the jewels in the earth” (42). We must shift our focus from ourselves to Christ if we are going to find real value and satisfaction. We must cling to the only opinion that matters. That is gospel-centered humility. It’s not self-deprecation, or self-hatred, that’s still rooted in a focus on the self. It is rejoicing in what Jesus has done to make us valuable and living for His glory regardless of what others say or how we feel about ourselves.
This is a short simple book, but it is not shallow. At 46 pages it is packed full of important lessons rooted in the exposition of Scripture. Though many will find it useful in counseling it’s really a book that all Christians need to read. We are all still bound to faulty views of the self, I know I am. Keller can offer counsel to us all. The book doesn’t discuss how to live out gospel-centered humility, but it is an important starting place for us. I highly recommend this book. Read it as you fight the battle for gospel-humility.
Sparrow & Heart Soul Care 