The title of today’s blog clearly is an oxymoron, saying a Christian is a narcissus is like saying “she is almost pregnant” it just is not possible. However the point is still clear there are people claiming to be of the faith that are more concerned with themselves then they are the mission.
Narcissism is a term that derived from Greek mythology. Narcissus was a handsome young man who was exceptionally proud, in that he disdained those who loved him. As divine punishment he fell in love with his own reflection in a pool, not realizing it was merely an image, and he wasted away to death, not being able to leave the beauty of his own reflection. The myth of Narcissus has given rise to the personality disorder known as “narcissism”, which is characterized by vanity, conceit, egotism, and self-obsession.
So how does this play its self out in the church today? Well by people simply being in love with them self and therefore have no real love for others, or even for God. Now before we condemn these types of people, it’s always helpful to look at yourself. We all have areas where we would rather take care of ourselves more then they would rather take care of others. From time to time I also must pray against this narcissistic behavior. I mean as a Christian it’s hard not to fall into loving your self when the majority of the Christian books on the market are self help books, or many Gospel songs are about us not God, or even Sermons that are geared toward self promotion. At times I wonder is God really pleased with us as his body. Some how we have taken the Bible and made it a book about God doing for us and not us doing for God.
So how do we fight against narcissism in the church? The apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 2:3 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves”. Selfishness and vanity are the epitome of narcissism, and they are very destructive and have no place in the Christian life. Paul also attacks this in Colossians 3:12 “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” A humble person always sees the best traits in others and the worst traits in there self.
By no means am I telling you to hate yourself but I am saying hate the fact that you love yourself (confused you didn’t I). Jesus said in Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters yes, even their own life such a person cannot be my disciple”
My hope is that you would read this and pray asking God to reveal the areas where you struggle with narcissism. A good question to ask your self is how many times do I say “I” or “Me” through the course of a day? If you have a social networking site such as Face book or Twitter take a moment and see how many post were about you. I’m telling you we all must do better.
The cure for narcissism is the same as for any sin, repentance and a commitment to Christ as Lord of our lives. Only through the power of His indwelling Holy Spirit can the narcissist become a true child of God, dedicated to Him and seeing others as better than himself. God is able to take that love that you have for yourself and turn it into pure love for Jesus Christ.
Thanks for checking out WattsFatcory Blogs
Narcissism is a term that derived from Greek mythology. Narcissus was a handsome young man who was exceptionally proud, in that he disdained those who loved him. As divine punishment he fell in love with his own reflection in a pool, not realizing it was merely an image, and he wasted away to death, not being able to leave the beauty of his own reflection. The myth of Narcissus has given rise to the personality disorder known as “narcissism”, which is characterized by vanity, conceit, egotism, and self-obsession.
So how does this play its self out in the church today? Well by people simply being in love with them self and therefore have no real love for others, or even for God. Now before we condemn these types of people, it’s always helpful to look at yourself. We all have areas where we would rather take care of ourselves more then they would rather take care of others. From time to time I also must pray against this narcissistic behavior. I mean as a Christian it’s hard not to fall into loving your self when the majority of the Christian books on the market are self help books, or many Gospel songs are about us not God, or even Sermons that are geared toward self promotion. At times I wonder is God really pleased with us as his body. Some how we have taken the Bible and made it a book about God doing for us and not us doing for God.
So how do we fight against narcissism in the church? The apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 2:3 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves”. Selfishness and vanity are the epitome of narcissism, and they are very destructive and have no place in the Christian life. Paul also attacks this in Colossians 3:12 “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” A humble person always sees the best traits in others and the worst traits in there self.
By no means am I telling you to hate yourself but I am saying hate the fact that you love yourself (confused you didn’t I). Jesus said in Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters yes, even their own life such a person cannot be my disciple”
My hope is that you would read this and pray asking God to reveal the areas where you struggle with narcissism. A good question to ask your self is how many times do I say “I” or “Me” through the course of a day? If you have a social networking site such as Face book or Twitter take a moment and see how many post were about you. I’m telling you we all must do better.
The cure for narcissism is the same as for any sin, repentance and a commitment to Christ as Lord of our lives. Only through the power of His indwelling Holy Spirit can the narcissist become a true child of God, dedicated to Him and seeing others as better than himself. God is able to take that love that you have for yourself and turn it into pure love for Jesus Christ.
Thanks for checking out WattsFatcory Blogs
