InflateGate

There’s been a lot of talk lately about deflated footballs. The NFL controversy even has a name: DeflateGate. But it got me thinking about a much more serious problem. I’m calling it InflateGate.

To be fair, some things certainly work better when they are properly inflated. Ever try bouncing a deflated basketball on the ground? And who would want to drive their car with a flat tire or send their kids into a pool with an under-inflated flotation device? But there is one very important thing we all possess that can destroy us if it gets inflated: Our egos.

The ‘ego’ simply describes how we view ourselves. We teach our children to be confident and capable, but we warn them against being arrogant. The bible tells us: “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought” (Romans 12:3). And we know that God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble (Proverbs 3:34). When the ego gets inflated, we get puffed up and full of false pride.

So what’s the big deal? Well, as it turns out, the inflated ego prevents us from seeing God in our lives. Is there any more serious problem than failing to find God’s saving grace because of our own inflated ego? That’s the true InflateGate!

I’m so thankful that Elijah figured all this out before he died. Most of us think we have all the time in the world. One of the last things Elijah wrote describes how he battled an inflated ego, but ultimately won by submitting himself to God.

“There was a time in life when my ego consumed me… it took over me after having had escalated for years of thinking I was too good for any authority… deep down I was a great person but I succumbed to the norms of society… and my assumptions of life which came about from my inflated ego all started ultimately from refusing to submit myself to God.” (Elijah Buchanan, November 23, 2014)

Please ‘like’ and ‘share’ this post as you find it helpful and inspiring. Thank you.

-Ken Buchanan