The Antidote

I have a disease…it’s called, self-centeredness.

I am too focused on myself. I am too attached to material things. I am too preoccupied making myself comfortable in this world. That’s why, when a trial comes, I shake. That’s why when something throws me off my comfort zone, I quake. That’s why when something doesn’t go the way I planned it, I crumble.

I don’t want to be like that!

I want to be free! I want to be free from the worries of this world…well, at least, I want to not be shaken at the slightest change in the wind’s direction. I want to be comfortable, but in a different way. I want to find my comfort in the assurance of His Hand upon me. I want to be firmly standing upon the Rock that does not move, so I don’t move. I want my heart to rest in the peace that is only found in Him. I want to keep my eyes off of me. I want His face to be all I see.

It’s time for me to get my eyes off of myself and the waves around me, and fix them onto Him. It’s time for me to find ways to do that effectively. Perhaps, the first thing I have to do is to stop saying “I” all the time : )

There are some very effective, God-ordained steps that all self-centeredness sufferers can follow to break free of such all-consuming disease, and they begin with the command to…

Seek Him. Matthew 6: 33 is Jesus’ grand conclusion of His statement on the uselessness of worrying. “Do not worry about your life,” He commands in verse 25. Don’t worry about anything, not about what you would drink, eat or wear. Don’t worry about housing, finances or health. He’s got it! He’s got it all under control! After all, isn’t He the One who commanded the universe into existence? Why can’t we trust Him with our little lives? He created them too! Our only worry should be to pursue Him. Our greatest desire should be to center our lives around seeking to know Him and His love. The rest…well…He will take care of it all.

Praise Him. If the fact that He takes care of us in the way Jesus explains in Matthew 6 is not good enough reason for us to praise Him, just look through the Bible. It is filled with reasons to praise God’s Name. The Psalms alone are one big collection of praise and worship songs. Take 100 for example,

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

I mean, really, what else could I say to add to this exhortation???

Glorify Him. On the same token, we recognize that the chief purpose of mankind is to glorify God. Praise and Glory may be to Him all the days of our lives. We are to declare His glory among the nations and to proclaim His deeds among the peoples of the earth (Psalm 96). That is why we are here. Life is not about having a pleasant ride with as little bumps on the road as possible. Life is about reflecting the glory of God in our lives…for Great is Our God…the Only One worthy. Please read Psalm 145.

Serve His beloved. Finally, the progression takes us from knowing Him to loving Him and exalting Him until we pray He gives us His eyes so we can see what He sees and that He may use our hands and feet to do what needs to be done. This is how our faith grows. This is how our faith is made complete…by what we do (James 2: 22). This is the one fool-proof thing a child of God can do to forget about himself/herself: to look outward, toward the faces and concerns of our brothers and sisters in Christ. A life centered on service may very well be the antidote for self-centeredness.

And as we pursue a life of service to His beloved, we do it in His Name, we tell them about His love, we teach them to seek Him, praise Him and glorify Him.

May His eyes become our eyes.