Self-Absorbed
With the popularity of Facebook and the instant photos we can take with our phones now, the average person has more pictures of themselves than ever before in history. Imagine how many pictures our parents have of themselves as teenagers and thing of the ridiculous amount of photos this generation will have amassed by the time they reach adulthood.
We can look our own image too much – fanaticizing over our strengths or criticizing our faults. We slough off dead skin, we tweeze unwanted hairs, we whiten dull teeth, inspecting every square inch of ourselves. Not only do we have an ever present mirror for self-inspection, but we can find one of over 200,000 self-help books to keep our focus inward. We can work on our attitude, our marriage, our past, our future, our satisfaction, our peace… The more I think about it, the more I think our society is self-absorbed, maybe even self-obsessed.
But God’s word gives us another way. He offers the best self-help advice ever given. Stop trying to help yourself. Start trying to help others.
Matthew 16:24-25 says “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.”
Jesus makes it very clear that He wants our lives to be in His hands and only then will we find true life. When we give our lives away, when we submit to Him, and focus on the needs of His people, our own self-improvement fades into the background. Yes, he wants us to grow spiritually and he wants to sanctify us from all the sin that besets us, but He never recommended a morbid introspection on our failings. He said, die to sin, and get busy living to God.
Instead of being so self-absorbed, I want to be God-absorbed.
Instead of being selfish, I want to be self-less.
Instead of being focused inward, I want to be focused outward.
Amen, amen.
I have felt the same thing. You have diagnosed it succinctly and given the antidote. God bless you for that. I pray that it will be heeded.
It is so true that we have become so self-absorbed. We want to be perfect, but we are not and so self-help book can make us perfect either. May I become more God-absorbed and keep my eyes fixed on Him.