Doug Wilson rückt – meines Erachtens zu Recht – eine andere Form des Stolzes in den Mittelpunkt: Die tiefe Selbstachtung. Leider verstärkt die Seelsorge oft noch die Selbst-Zentriertheit.
(S)omeone who has a low opinion of himself can be every bit as self-centered. “Look at everyone watch me. See them stare at me when I tell jokes. Why are they laughing at my clothes?” This person has a low opinion of himself and also seeks to be the center of his known universe.
It is unfortunate that much modern counseling has exacerbated the problem. People are told they most love themselves before they can love others; they must develop a better self-image. Such nonsense hardly deserves the name. Jesus did not say, “Take up your mirror daily, and come follow me.”
To focus your eyes on anything except the Lord Jesus is spiritually suicidal. If your attention is centered on yourself (whether you see a worm or a superstar is utterly beside the point) you are a priest in the cult of self-worship. A holy life will be God-centered, not self-centered. The antithesis of such holiness is the egocentric demand to be the Main Attraction.
