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The ego and sense of self are things that every human must battle with. With an inflated ego we lose ourselves and in turn our life to the selfish thoughts and carnal pleasures that Christ taught us to avoid.Think of the life of Christ: how did he live? Did he seek to save himself? He was crucified when he did not need to be because he needed to do it so that we could be saved. He did not think of himself even when he was pinned to the cross. His lessons taught us to think of others even before ourselves and he lived his life in a way that demonstrated exactly that.The temptations of selfishness are difficult to avoid. Carnal pleasures and worldly delights are thrown at us on a daily basis, and it is a constant battle to lead a faithful and godly life. To choose the worldly path is to lose our life: lose it to temptation, lose it to sin, lose it to evil. The other path, a godly and righteous one, is less traveled and more difficult, but the rewards are everlasting life. Choose the road less traveled and you shall find your life's purpose.Consider a moment in your life when you chose to do something for selfish reasons, even as small as eating that piece of cake that your mouth so badly desires. How did it make you feel? Did you feel fulfilled? Now consider the converse of this: you made a decision that you know was in line with the teachings of the Gospel, avoiding the selfish temptations that abound and choosing the more difficult road. Which one left you more fulfilled?The choice is clear when we ponder it but that doesn't mean that it is easy. Christ lived his life as an example for us to follow, however, and gave us the chance and the choice to pursue life. Lose yourself in him, in the Scriptures, in God, and you will be found. There is no other way. Amen.