Selfies for God?
Oh, to be the center of attention!
And the women sang to one another as they made merry, "Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands." Saul was very angry, for this saying displeased him. - 1 Samuel 18:7-8
We are following the story of David in the book of Samuel, and David's relationship to his king, Saul, is a strange one.
He wants the glory David brings, but his ego cannot handle sharing the glory with the one who brings it.
How often do we find ourselves on one end of this situation or the other?
Who doesn't want accolades? Our egos love to be stroked. We want the boss to value us and we want to be the star as well. Sometimes the boss can't handle our fame.
So, what does this tell us about our relationship with God?
Does God get jealous when we take the spotlight?
It is an interesting question because all throughout Scripture, we read about a jealous God who gets angry at his chosen for turning against him and raising up false gods and idols.
But I am not so sure jealousy is the reason God gets angry. I think He's above all that.
One of the great things about Bible stories like this one about David and Saul is that they are really about us and our foibles, our inability to grasp the Holy, the True, the Good.
We are limited in our understand and in the language we use to express what we think we see and hear and feel.
Maybe the message is super simple, and we are just too deaf to hear it. What if this whole issue is about sharing the spotlight?
On one end of the spectrum, we want to be the center of attention, while on the other, we hide in a closet, avoiding any attention at all.
We cannot shine our light and be seen by others if we hide in the closet, and when the spotlight is on us, we are blinded by it, unable to see anyone.
So, we need to be somewhere in between. We need to be the spotlight and stand in it at the same time.
We live in a world of selfies, where people are scrambling to shine their lights on themselves, making themselves the subject of their every conversation. That may be fun, but it doesn't last.
Eventually, we all stop watching and just look at our own reflections.
Perhaps you have noticed the selfie syndrome that is afflicting our clergy.
So many ministers, preachers, and other clergy are so busy posting pictures of themselves on Facebook, they don't realize no one is really paying attention to the message.
That is, if they remember to post the message along with their smiling faces. Many do not.
I thought it wasn't about us!
I thought the ministry was about serving others.
I have always enjoyed the spotlight. I admit it and I believe it is helpful and a blessing to get the opportunity to stand in it from time to time.
But I am more interested in spending my time with those who roll up their sleeves and get busy doing the work God has prepared for us to do.
There will be plenty of time for selfies when the work is done.
But we are far from done.
More to come...
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