Narcissus

"Narcissus: a beautiful youth in Greek mythology who pines away for love of his own reflection and is then turned into the narcissus flower"

I would have to say that we're all a little bit like ole Narcissus here... it's called Narcissism. So inwardly focused that we miss the beauty all around us... i like to think that's why Narcissus was turned into a flower... he became something that is still beautiful but that people walk by everyday and fail to notice. Narcissus noticed himself enough that he didn't need other people, but now that he can't stare back at his adoring self he realizes that no one else is looking. He's neglected relationships, missed out on life, alienated friends, and made his beauty something that people despised him for rather than admired him for.

Why do we do this? Are we so afraid that other people won't acknowledge the things about us that we know are good that we have to continually acknowledge it in ourselves for reassurance? If you admire yourself enough, if you pity yourself enough, if you defend yourself enough-- no one else will feel the need to do it for you. A sob story is only sad the first couple of times- and then people start to think you feel bad enough for yourself, so much so that you don't need their understanding or pity. A reminder of your qualities is rarely endearing- when you do things to be noticed rather than just to do what's right, people stop seeing it as giving and start seeing the selfish motivation behind it.

It's also not just the beauty in you that will make you a better person. If you only look at yourself in that warped mirror- the one that only shows your beauty- you'll fail to make any improvements. When we let other people see us for what we really are they can hold us accountable. They can see the ugly side of us and encourage us to change. We're so scared of not being "perfect" that we don't even strive to be better. It all comes down to fear. Fear of not being loved, fear of failing, fear of letting people down. . . our fear screams at us with every step we take "JUST STAY HERE!" It keeps us from moving forward.

We all have a little bit of this in us... some people are consumed by it.

It's not just you that you're hurting. It affects the people around you- when they can tell that you care more about yourself than about them. . . to the point where it is simply your self-interest that is motivating your actions. We have to act out of careful consideration for the people around us. . . out of careful consideration for how our actions portray the heart of God. So forget about the specific examples, forget the black & white, the rules and the laws, even the fruits your life should show- let's not even get that specific. . . what's your motivation? When was the last time you thought, "how will this affect the people I love?" when was the last time you thought "How will this show people Christ in me?" When was the last time you thought these things INSTEAD of "Will this make me happy?" "Will this be fun?" "Will this make people like me?" "Will this keep me from getting hurt?" "Will this be convenient for me?" There are a lot of questions we subconsciously ask ourselves- however, they're rarely the right ones.