The Ballestero Blog

God Hates Selfies

Love Thy Neighbor As Thy Selfie?

Every Social media seems to be loaded with pictures that users take of themselves. (When someone uses their camera or cellphone to take their own picture, that photo is called a ‘selfie’.) Some seem to be consumed with the daily posting of these pictures.

To the average viewer looking at the different poses everyday, it does seem to be a bit much over the top at times.

In 2013, the word “selfie” made it into the official Oxford dictionary. In fact, it was the “word of the year”.

But, getting back to the title of this post. Does God really hate selfies? He sure does. Humor me just a moment and see what I’m talking about.

He Doesn’t Like Your Selfies Unless He’s In It Too. He Doesn’t Want To Be A Photo Bomb In Your Selfie. He Wants To Be The Main Focus Of The Whole Picture.

As a very young man, I was leading the worship service one evening in our local church in South Bend. After service, my father, the pastor, said he wanted to talk to me a moment. That didn’t seem like it was going to be a good thing for me, from the sound of his voice.

Dad: “Son, have you noticed that God never seems to bless that chorus you sang tonight?”

Me: “What chorus dad?”

Dad: “Working for a mansion, a robe and a crown… that will be glory for me.”

Me: “No sir, I never noticed that.”

Dad: “Well… if you are going to lead the worship in this church you need to pay attention to what songs God blesses and which ones He doesn’t bless.”

Me: gulp,  “Yes sir… I’m very sorry.”

Dad: “The reason He doesn’t bless that song here is because it is all about us. It’s about self. It’s not about Him. If you want the blessings of God on a song service, sing about Him. Sing about His mercy, sing about His grace, sing about His love, sing about His power, sing about His blood, sing about His Word, and sing about His Name. Sing about Him and He will always bless it.”

Me: “Yes sir. Thank you Daddy. Thank you very much!”

2 Timothy 3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, 

In a generation dedicated to the pleasuring of its flesh, selfies just seem to be normal. But in His World, our self must decrease so that He might increase. He must be the Lord of all. He delights in our promotion of His Kingdom.

Never Forget That God Is A Jealous God.

Only when we humble and abase ourselves do we find the secret of exaltation.

Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

The Gospel compels us to focus on Him and others, not on ourselves. It challenges us to get past our own little world and minister to others.

It asks us to go into the darkness around us and be the light of the world so that the glorious light of the Gospel can shine abroad unto the lost.

So, focus your heart’s camera on Him right now, take the best picture you can and then go show it to someone who has never seen anyone like Him before.

Remember… He ONLY likes ‘selfies’ when He is included in the picture.