Self-worship is, arguably, the fastest-growing religion of our day.

According to David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons:

• 84 percent of Americans believe that “enjoying yourself is the highest goal of life.”
• 86 percent believe that to enjoy yourself you must “pursue the things you desire most.”
• 91 percent affirm this statement: “To find yourself, look within yourself.”

And there is no reason to suppose that the picture is very different here in the UK.

The Westminster Catechism’s answer to the question about ‘chief end of man’ has been turned upside down: ‘the chief end of man is to glorify and enjoy himself forever.’

This religion has its own set of commandments:

• Your mind is the source and standard of truth, so no matter what, trust yourself. #theanswersarewithin
• Your emotions are authoritative, so never question (or let anyone else question) your feelings. #followyourheart
• You are sovereign, so flex your omnipotence and bend the universe around your dreams and desires. #liveyourtruth
• You are supreme, so always act according to your chief end, to glorify and enjoy yourself forever. #yolo
• You are the summum bonum—the standard of goodness—so don’t let anyone oppress you with the antiquated notion of being a sinner who needs grace. #neverchange.
• You are the Creator, so use that limitless creative power to craft your identity and purpose. #authenticity.

But,

‘We are not God. We were never meant to trust in or be defined by, satisfied in, and captivated by ourselves. We were made to revere someone infinitely more interesting and awesome than ourselves. We become most truly and freely ourselves in a state of self-forgetful reverence.’

To regard ourselves as the final arbiters of truth leads to confusion.  To seek satisfaction within ourselves ends up in misery.  To become our own standard of what is good and right makes us insufferably smug and self-righteous.

Thaddeus Williams asks: ‘Do we want happier, fuller lives?’  He offers an answer to the question:

‘Let us be awestruck by something, or rather someone, infinitely bigger than ourselves. If we’re going to have a lasting, countercultural effect on a society that has fallen for the cult of self-worship, then let’s recenter our lives on the “God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all those who are around him” (Ps. 89:7).’

Based on, and quoting from, this, by Thaddeus Williams.