Worship Me or Perish? My Perspective on God's True Nature

Not too long ago, I listened to a YouTube video where an atheist described God as a “cosmic narcissist.” It is a common perspective from non-theists to view the God of the Bible not as a forgiving creator but as a jealous and self-absorbed “sky daddy” who demands your Sunday attendance or you’ll burn in Hell for all of eternity. Surely, if God demands we make Him the center of our existence so that we won't be sent to Hell, that must make Him selfishly egocentric–right?

I disagree. While there is already ample discussion on social media about narcissistic personality disorder, for the sake of the topic, let’s explore what the DSM-5-TR says about this cluster B personality disorder. 

According to Medscape, in order for an individual to qualify for a diagnosis of NPD, five of the nine following traits must be present:

• A grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., the individual exaggerates achievements and talents and expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)

• A preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love

• A belief that he or she is special and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people or institutions

• A need for excessive admiration

• A sense of entitlement (i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations)

• Interpersonally exploitative behavior (i.e., the individual takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends)

• A lack of empathy (unwillingness to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others)

• Envy of others or a belief that others are envious of him or her

• A demonstration of arrogant and haughty behaviors or attitudes

These qualities do not accurately represent the character of the Christian God. If God truly suffered from narcissism, then the Sacrament of Reconciliation wouldn’t make sense: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). An individual who suffers from true narcissism often holds grudges and uses another person’s weaknesses to their advantage; they may claim to have forgiven the other party for a mistake they made but use the incident as a “point” against them. The Christian God, however, does not do this. While we must all face the consequences for all of our sins, even the ones that have been forgiven, God does not love us any less for our human flaws.

Rather than a demanding egoist, God has revealed Himself as a sacrificial giver. He knows that we are incapable of perfect love and goodness in and of ourselves, and He offers us what we can’t personally attain. He is the source of all good. Even “good” people are perfectly capable of making poor decisions under undesirable circumstances. This is exactly why Christ needed to make the sacrifice on the cross to pay the price that we could not, for “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). 

A narcissistic individual may gain things to gain trust and later use it against others. But Jesus, though a supernatural being, humbled Himself, becoming vulnerable and ultimately the victim of our sin. He allowed Himself to be crucified for our eternal benefit. He could have had a grandiose sense of importance–I’d say creating everything there is an achievement that’ll certainly stand out on any resume–yet, He came to serve (Matthew 20:28).

So when people claim that the Church is a fear-mongering institution that demands your time and money, claiming that it is the only way to save you from ending up in a place that burns hotter than northern Indiana in mid-summer, I point to where Scripture and the Church teachings argue the contrary. 

I do not attend Mass every weekend to glorify myself as a “good” Christian–for if I were so “good” I would not need to be there in the first place. (“Why callest thou Me good? There is none good but One, that is, God” (Mark 10:18).) The purpose of attending Mass is to glorify Him and to know Him, the One who loved me first. 

The Christian God became a human being so that I would be able to conceptualize Him. He accepts our imperfect love for Him and will always listen to us any time, any day, anywhere. Unlike us humans, God does not need to sleep, balance social obligations, or catch up on work emails missed over the weekend. He does not have limitations or social preferences. He is always there, waiting for you to call on Him. As long as you are still alive, it is never too late.

I will leave you with my personal favorite passage from Scripture. This is the only one so far that brings me to tears each time: “You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all of your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13). If you feel you have not yet had a heart-to-heart conversation with God, I invite you to put down whatever device you are using right now to read this and do just that. Whether you are currently experiencing joy, sorrow, or somewhere in between, or even if you are not sure if you believe, come to the Lord as you are in the present moment.