Summary6 min read

Ask Pastor John – "Kill Your Ego, Find Your Joy"

Date: June 1, 2026
Host: Tony Reinke ("A")
Guest: John Piper ("B")
Theme: The Christian call to humility—killing the love of applause—and understanding the ultimate purpose of giving glory to God.

Episode Overview

In this episode, Pastor John Piper answers a question from Priya in Houston about Psalm 115:1 and explores why Christians are called to renounce self-glorification, give glory to God alone, and how practicing humility in moments of success connects to God’s ultimate purpose for creation. Piper draws from both scripture and literature, discussing the significance of God-centered living, how it shapes our self-worth, and the practical outworking of humility in daily life.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Insatiability of Human Praise

Tony Reinke opens by reflecting on the fleeting satisfaction of receiving personal recognition:
- “You would think that getting the credit for something, getting recognized, you think that would feel amazing for a while. And it does feel great for about 30 seconds. And then you need more and more and more a new hit of praise until I become the center of this little depressing universe. Called me.”
  [00:14 – 00:38]
The continual craving for applause ultimately leads not to joy, but to misery.

2. Scriptural Anchor: Psalm 115:1 and the Love of God's Glory

Priya’s Question: Why is it so important to give glory to God and not seek glory for ourselves, especially in seasons of success?
John Piper answers by rooting the principle in biblical narrative:
- He recalls the iconic “Non nobis Domine” scene from Henry V to illustrate the proper human response to victory—not self-applause, but acknowledging God’s glory.
  - “King Harry looks at the statistics of how many French perished and how many English perished, like 10,000 to 25. And he says that if anybody in his army takes credit for this victory, they should be put to death. And they are to sing the non nobis, that’s Latin…Nonobis Domine, Domine, sed nomini tuo da gloriam. It’s the first line of Psalm 115.”
    [01:27 – 02:20]
- Piper: “This is the ultimate and final point of the Bible and the ultimate and final purpose of the universe. Not to us, O Lord, not to us. But to your name give glory.”
  [02:37 – 02:47]

3. God’s Purpose in All Things: The Centrality of His Glory

Piper surveys Old and New Testament passages to emphasize God’s persistent priority: His own name and glory.
- Ezekiel 36:22-23: God moves for His holy name’s sake.
- Isaiah 43:6-7: “Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory.”
- Psalm 106, Isaiah 48: Repeated declarations that God acts ultimately for His glory.
Quote:
- “He created the world at the beginning for the manifestation of his glory, and His Son is coming back at the end so that he might be marveled at and glorified in his people. And in between creation and consummation, over and over again he declared this to be his purpose in all that he does.”
  [03:24 – 04:04]
- God's self-exaltation is never arbitrary egoism, but the loving revelation of His goodness.

4. Joining God in His Ultimate Purpose

Christians are invited into this God-centeredness.
- “We want to join God, don’t we? We want to join God in His ultimate purpose…whatever you do, whether you eat or drink, do all to the glory of God. This is God’s ultimate purpose. He tells us to join him in it.”
  [06:15 – 06:34]

5. Cultivating Humility in Success

How should we respond when recognized for achievements?
- Piper refers to the full phrase of Psalm 115:1—not to us, but for the sake of God’s steadfast love and faithfulness.
- Two implications:
  1. Recognition of Gift: Any success is a manifestation of God’s steadfast love, a gift to us (cf. Paul: “What do you have that you did not receive?”).
  2. God’s Self-exaltation is Our Good: When God exalts His glory, He is exalting the fullness of His grace toward us.
  - “His self exaltation is a great act of love toward us. We are sinners and our lives depend on grace. So here’s the key, Priya. We get the grace, he gets the glory, we get the pleasure, he gets the praise.”
    [08:28 – 09:16]

6. The Paradox of Self-Worth and God's Glory (Setup for Next Episode)

Tony foreshadows a deeper discussion: If our purpose is always to praise God, does that mean we have no worth? He teases the next episode, which will tackle the connection between God's glory and our self-worth.
- “If we exist to praise God’s worth, then we have no worth of our own, right? Wrong. So where do we find our self worth? Where does that come from? That’s up next.”
  [09:48 – 10:08]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Tony Reinke:
- “And it does feel great for about 30 seconds. And then you need more and more and more a new hit of praise until I become the center of this little depressing universe. Called me.”
  [00:14 – 00:38]
John Piper:
- “This is the ultimate and final point of the Bible and the ultimate and final purpose of the universe. Not to us, O Lord, not to us. But to your name give glory.”
  [02:37 – 02:47]
- “He created the world at the beginning for the manifestation of his glory, and His Son is coming back at the end so that he might be marveled at and glorified in his people.”
  [03:24 – 03:42]
- “We get the grace, he gets the glory, we get the pleasure, he gets the praise.”
  [08:52 – 09:16]

Important Timestamps

[00:04] — Introduction: The struggle with pride and why applause is addictive
[01:17] — John Piper on Henry V and the Psalm 115:1 connection
[02:37] — Why “not to us, but to your name” is the point of the Bible and universe
[03:24] — God’s purpose for creation in Scripture (Ezekiel, Isaiah, Psalms)
[06:15] — Christians called to join God’s purpose: 1 Corinthians 10:31
[07:40] — How to practice humility in recognition/success
[08:28] — The grace-glory exchange: “We get the grace, he gets the glory…”
[09:16] — Reinke summarizes: God-centeredness as an act of love toward us
[09:48] — Teaser: Where do we find our self-worth?

Key Takeaways

The love of self-applause is fleeting and addictive—it never truly satisfies, but rather leads to a self-centered existence.
God’s glory is the ultimate purpose of all creation, salvation, and daily life; the Bible is filled with reminders that God acts “for the sake of my name.”
True joy and humility come through recognizing all good things are from God and designed to make much of Him, not ourselves.
Humility in success means seeing achievements as gifts of God’s steadfast love and faithfulness, not grounds for personal boasting.
God’s self-exaltation is not egotism, but love. When He exalts Himself, He is upholding the very source of our grace and delight.
Our joy is bound up in His glory: “We get the grace, he gets the glory, we get the pleasure, he gets the praise.”

For Further Study

For practical ways to grow in God-centered productivity and purpose, see the “Ask Pastor John” book’s sections on purpose and self-worth, as mentioned by Tony at the close.

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Transcript3 lines

[00:04]
A
Of late, we've been looking at how to kill fleshly instincts inside of us. Killing self indulgence. That was in episode 2257. Killing the desire to retaliate in episode 2258, last time and next in line today. Killing the love of applause. Because of course it feels so good to be applauded. You would think that getting the credit for something, getting recognized, you think that would feel amazing for a while. And it does feel great for about 30 seconds. And then you need more and more and more a new hit of praise until I become the center of this little depressing universe. Called me today on Ask Pastor John. Kill your ego, find your joy. Priya in Houston, Texas, asks about a recent psalm in our Bible reading. Pastor John, hello to you. We read in Psalm 115, verse 1 that the Psalmist declares this not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory because of your love and faithfulness. Why do you think it is so important to give glory to God as opposed to seeking out glory for ourselves? How does this whole dynamic challenge the tendency, naturally we have to take credit for our achievements or blessings in this life. In what ways can we better practice humility and recognize God over our lives, especially in moments when we experience success or recognition from others?
[01:17]
B
I don't watch many movies. I don't find the vast majority of them good for my soul. But I've watched one movie twice, maybe more. At least parts of it more. Namely Shakespeare's Henry V starring Kenneth Branagh, for two reasons. King Harry's speech on the eve of the Battle of Agincourt, and then, best of all, the response of the English soldiers to their victory over the French. King Harry looks at the statistics of how many French perished and how many English perished, like 10,000 to 25. And he says that if anybody in his army takes credit for this victory, they should be put to death. And they are to sing the non nobis, that's Latin, non nobis, on their way to Calais. And I get the shivers up and down my spine when I listen to those soldiers walking across the battleground singing Nonobis Domine, Domine, sed nomini tuo da gloriam. It's the first line of Psalm 115. Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but for your name give glory. I think the reason that scene moves me so deeply is not only because the setting is just such terrible carnage in the battle, but also because this is the ultimate and final point of the Bible and the ultimate and final purpose of the universe. Not to us, O Lord, not to us. But to your name give glory. I think these words of God in Ezekiel 36 could be spoken over the whole world, over God's purpose for the whole world and for his people in it. Here's what Ezekiel 36:22 23 say to the house of Israel. Thus says the Lord God. It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which you have profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. And he meant he's going to save Israel not for your sake, but for the vindication of my holiness. God created the world. God governs the world, so that the holiness of his name, that is the utter transcendent purity and worth and beauty and greatness of His Name himself, would be known and enjoyed with white hot affection by a redeemed people who have found in him their supreme treasure. Here's Isaiah 43:6. Bring my sons from afar, my daughters from the ends of the earth. Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory. He created the world at the beginning for the manifestation of his glory, and His Son is coming back at the end so that he might be marveled at and glorified in his people. And in between creation and consummation, over and over again he declared this to be his purpose in all that he does. Why did he deliver his people from Egypt? I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations. He leads us in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. For your name's sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt. That's why he pardons us. For your namesake you lead me and guide me. Psalm 31 Deliver us and atone for our sins for your name's sake he saved them for His Name's sake, that he might make known his mighty power. Psalm 106 and perhaps the most powerful summary statement of God's purpose is in all of history is Isaiah 48, 9, 11. For my name's sake I defer my anger for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you, that I may not cut you off. Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver. I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, for my own sake I do it. For how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another. In other words, not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory. So when Priya asks, why do you think it is so important to give glory to God as opposed to seeking glory ourselves? The first answer is, this is God's ultimate purpose for his people, for all of history, for all of creation. This is his ultimate purpose. We want to join God, don't we? We want to join God in His ultimate purpose. Indeed, he tells us to join him in his ultimate purpose. In 1 Corinthians 10:31, whatever you do, whether you eat or drink, do all to the glory of God. This is God's ultimate purpose. He tells us to join him in it. And then Priya asks, in what ways can we better practice and recognize God over our lives? Especially in moments when we experience success or recognition from others? There's time, maybe for one brief suggestion. The second half of Psalm 115. One needs to be included when we quote the verse, not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory. And here it is, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness. That has two implications. One is that when we succeed at anything and receive recognition, we realize it is a gift of God's steadfast love. We owe all our successes to God. Paul said, what do you have that you did not receive? And then when you receive it, why do you boast as if it were not a gift? Or Romans 11 who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid for from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen. And and the other implication of Psalm 115 is that self exaltation, the self exaltation of God, is in a final sense the exaltation of the fullness of his grace. So when he says he does everything for his namesake or for his glory, he means ultimately for the glory of his grace. Which means that his self exaltation is a great act of love toward us. We are sinners and our lives depend on grace. So here's the key, Priya. We get the grace, he gets the glory, we get the pleasure, he gets the praise.
[09:16]
A
Amen. We get the grace, he gets the glory, we get the pleasure, he gets the praise. This God centeredness is actually an act of love towards us. Because when God gets the praise we receive the grace and satisfaction that comes from treasuring his supreme love worth. Speaking of this, God's purpose for the universe, how does that then shape the way we understand our roles in life? Like today, what I do today, what my schedule says today. If you want to take the next step and look at productivity, see the Ask Pastor John book section that I put together for you on purpose, productivity and laziness, starting with that essential question, why do I exist on page 85. And then from there, it gets more practical in working out God's purpose for my life in the purpose of the universe. So if we exist to praise God's worth, then we have no worth of our own, right? Wrong. So where do we find our self worth? Where does that come from? That's up next. I'm Tony Reinke. We'll see you back here on Thursday.