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Me-ism Often Makes Me Angry With God (ism #4)

April 13, 2025

Me-ism Often Makes Me Angry With God (ism #4) | Dr. Larry Baucom, Dr. Troy Doucet | April 13, 2025

 

Week 4 Theme: “Me-ism” — A Spiritual Condition Where It’s All About Me

In this, the fourth dialogue in our series called “Ism”, Dr. Troy Doucet and Dr. Larry Baucom explore the concept of “Me-ism”, a spiritual state where our relationship with God is filtered through self-interest, personal comfort, and control. The story of Jonah serves as a vivid backdrop, but the real focus is on what Me-ism looks like in our lives today.

 

Key Characteristics of Me-ism:

  1. Me-ism is displayed when we run from God.

    • Instead of obedience, we choose avoidance when God’s call threatens our agenda.

    • We resist change or discomfort—even when it means missing out on God’s greater purpose.

  2. Me-ism often makes me angry with God.  (it’s my pride)

    • We become more concerned with our own convenience (like Jonah and his vine) than the well-being of others.

    • Compassion takes a backseat to control.

  3. The antidote to me-ism is a quiet time leading to reflection and surrender.

    • Me-ism shows up when God’s mercy offends our sense of fairness or when we feel God “let us down.”

    • Pride says, “I did what You asked—why didn’t You do what I expected?”

 

God’s Response to Me-ism:

  • God lovingly exposes our selfishness—not to shame us, but to reshape us.

  • He reminds us that His compassion is not limited to the people we approve of.

  • His grace extends even to those we’d rather see judged—like Nineveh.

 

The Antidote to Me-ism:

  1. Quiet Time + Reflection = Surrender

    • Jonah’s moment of clarity came in the belly of the fish—in a place of darkness and desperation.

    • God often uses difficult circumstances to peel back our pride and realign our hearts.

  2. Compassion Over Control

    • We begin to look like Jesus—not Jonah—when we lead with love, not entitlement.

    • Jesus didn’t run from the people who rejected Him—He wept for them.

 

A Final Reflection:

Me-ism makes us spiritual janitors—cleaning up the same messes over and over instead of addressing the source of the mess: our self-centered hearts.
Jesus offers not just outward change, but a heart change.

 

Closing Thought:

We all wrestle with Me-ism, but we don’t have to stay there.

  • Be less like Jonah: defensive, angry, and self-absorbed.

  • Be more like Jesus: open-hearted, surrendered, and full of grace.

God’s love isn’t just for a select few—it’s for everyone.
And when we lay down Me-ism, we get to be part of something much bigger than ourselves.