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I must confess, before last Sunday, I don’t think I knew what a selfie was. But I’m glad I learned. It’s a trend that happens these days when a person comes by and takes over your cell phone, hijacking it with multiple photos of themselves in different poses.
You already knew? Well, I’m not sure all my readers did, so I’m telling those who were like me. Our pastor, Jean Larroux III is a master of illustration…at least they help me out immensely! If I have something concrete to hook truth to, it sticks in my heart, and brain and bounces around for days!
This illustration about selfies was like that.
ARE YOU LETTING GOD DO THE COUNTING/ASSESSING OF YOUR GROWTH?
As believers, we have a tendency to keep track of our own spiritual growth. It can be discouraging. After years of being a Christian, we have in our mind what our christian life should be look like. Each time we see something encouraging, our tendency is to want to take a selfie.
We look at this one thought or act or behavior and forget that if it was a true outworking of the grace of GOD working in us, there is nothing for us to take credit for! We take our selfie photos and keep them in the cell phones of our hearts. Sometimes we show them to our friends or tell people about what we did. We might even say we did it for GOD’s glory. Often, we actually believe it!
DO YOU FEEL THE NEED TO TAKE SELFIES TO BE SURE OTHERS KNOW THE POSITIVE THINGS YOU ARE DOING?
The test of whether we did do it for His glory? How do we respond if others aren’t appreciating our grand behavior? Have we ever tried to give a bunch of money or done a favor for someone without telling one other person? Even if it meant they misunderstood something else about us?
This was just a part of what was discussed this Sunday in our service as he spoke on Galatians 5:26: Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
WOW! That was just part of the sermon today. Believe it or not, the point of the service is not to make us feel guilty. But first, we need to realize we have a problem. Now, I will think of a selfie when I start patting myself on the back for something GOD has done vs. what I have done.
For more on this topic and the context of what I’m writing about, look here. The date is July 7, 2013.
Are you trusting in the work of GOD’s grace in your life?
Even when it doesn’t always look like you’re making much progress?
Think this week about the work GOD is doing in your life. Are you hopeful that He will complete the work He has started in you? cf. Philippians 1:6
