Death to selfie

This morning I heard a really great sermon on narcissism. Defined as an excessive interest in one's self or one's appearance, narcissism has become an epidemic. 

Remember when we used to take pictures with a camera that had film in it? And you had to wait until they were developed to see how you looked? Polaroids were the closest things we had to Instagram. But now, the world is scarier. Instant everything. Excessive interest in ourselves and our appearance.

Instagram reports posting over a million selfies a day. Out of those, 36% admit to retouching their selfies, and 13% admit to retouching every selfie that they post.

Excessive interest in ourselves and our appearance.

I am the queen of narcissism. When you are single without kids and live three states away from your family, it's hard to not be selfish. I only really need to worry about myself. But this focus on me has taken me down many times. And then add that to an excessive interest in my appearance and my weight and before you know it - I am fighting a losing battle with narcissism.

The great news is that our pastor this morning not only highlighted the issue, he offered a solution. If you want to combat selfishness, walk in step with God. Focus on Jesus, not on yourself. Look outward, not inward, for wisdom and knowledge.

I don't know how to do this right. But I do know that I just have to try it. Every day. When I get out of step, I start over. Every day. And I also know that we need to go easy on ourselves. Look outward, not inward. Focus on Jesus, not myself.

And for God's sake, girls, quit making that kissy face. You look better when you just...smile.