The depth and depravity of our self-centeredness
This is a central theme of Scripture. God made us to gravitate toward him, to acknowledge with joy and obedience that he is the center of all, that he alone is God. The heart of our wretched rebellion is that each of us wants to be number one. We make ourselves the center of all our thoughts and hopes and imaginatings. This vicious lust to be first works its way outward not only in hatred, war, rape, greed, covetousness, malice, bitterness, and much more, but also in self-righteousness, self-promotion, manufactured religions, and domesticated gods...
Our self-centeredness is deep. It is so brutally idolatrous that it tries to domesticate God himself. In our desperate folly, we act as if we can outsmart God, as if he owes us explanations, as if weare wise and self-determining while he exists only to meet our needs.
But this God says, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."
The Cross and Christian Ministry
D.A. Carson
pp.14-15