“Curiosity without limits is absurd. Pride distorts our vision and compromises our conscience. Pride takes what is absurd and suggests it is what we deserve.”- Joel Muddamalle
“The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”- 2 Corinthians 4:4 (ESV)
As Joel Muddamalle moves on in Chapter 7 of The Hidden Peace, he stresses that Satan’s original splendor and beauty caused him to focus obsessively on himself. Because pride fosters and overly elevated view of ourselves. Consequently, pride robs us of our self-awareness. In addition, Pride tempts us to magnify ourselves. As a result, we minimize everyone else.
Hence, Satan’s pride led him to an act of idolatry against God (see Isaiah 4:40. Thus, the early church father Origen weighed in on Satan’s downfall. Origen connected Satan’s corruption and downfall with his arrogance and pride at heart. Most significantly, Origen added, Satan seemed to think that “the privileges which he enjoyed when he lived blamelessly were his own and not given to him by God.”
Certainly, Joel acknowledges, all of us possess some generally narcissistic tendencies. And one of those tendencies centers on self-deception. So, if we get super caught up in ourselves, at some point we start fooling ourselves and thus buy into our own delusions.
Therefore, Joel counsels:
“Now keep in mind that self-deception typically doesn’t happen in an instant. The Greek word narkao, which is related to our English word narcissist, means ‘to grow numb by applying pressure.’ Over time, as we fully indulge in pride, create space for conceit, and allow deception in our lives, we will grow numb. And numbness is the perfect state for idolatry to take root. . . . The longing of pride is ultimately to be like God. The entrance to pride is curiosity.”
However, greater self-awareness bridges us to humility and all its life-changing gifts.
Today’s question: How do you see the absurd nature of curiosity without limits? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “A seductive sin – pride”