September 2023
Nougat 30
The story is told of a man who heard the Gospel and at the moment of decision, raised a US monetary note and said, this is my god. We might be appalled by his statement, but he was brutally honest. Yet, if we allow his honest response to sit with us for a bit, we might realize that it triggers a moment of self-reflection.
If you feel that way, welcome to the club. And if you find the reflection eliciting some truths about yourself, perhaps it’s the best time, even before reflecting on today’s Holy Nougat
“For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred.” 2 Timothy 3:2 NLT
Self Love
Jesus Christ Himself said we must love our neighbors *as* (ie, in the same manner that) we love ourselves (see Mark 12:31). In fact, it is touted as the second most important commandment. It is second only So when and how did self-love become a bad thing? Is the Bible contradicting itself or not?
Not
For Pauls comments don’t stop at the idea of self-love; he indicates that the love extends to money, referred to in another letter as the root of all evil (see 1 Timothy 6:10). So what we hear Paul saying then is in excess, self love is counter to God’s way. When narcissistic attitudes override obedience to God’s plans, we are in deep trouble. And this narcissism manifests in different ways.
It may take the form of xenophobic actions, denying others access to spaces that we take for granted for ourselves; or more overt selfishness, always insisting on particular privileges to the detriment of others; or constant deflection of conversations, everything to make ourselves the center of attention (like Nebuchadnezzar did in Daniel 3). Or it can be simple ongoing disobediences rooted in self-pleasure, when we know it’s outside of God’s will.
We can also consider the various things that people do, the extent to which people would go – all for the love of money. The man’s stark comment feels obscene, yet many of us are familiar with the system of bribes as the mainstay of both low and high income communities. The motives might differ although the implications are same.
Even as we look around, probably even pointing fingers at the greedy, narcissistic people around us; even as we consider the fact that there can’t be much more excessive behavior in the End times than existed in prior eras, even if the news says it has worsened; might we honestly think about our own lives – have we been infected by the twin viruses of greed and narcissism?
If so, there’s time to change, so help us YHWH!
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May all we seek be found in Christ