Taking Selfies, Taking Stock

Photo by: imagerymajestic

At summer camp, one of the little girls reached for a counselor’s phone and said, “Let me take a selfish.” She clearly meant “selfie,” and all of us laughed. Later, the counselor said, “Well, it is selfish!”

I’ve tried to take selfies several times with varying results. (I think it has something to do with the length of your arms. If you’re short like me, you can miss all together, and the results can be really funny!)

I have a few young friends who post selfies almost every day on social media—or so it seems. The comments are always “looking good,” “you always look pretty,” “I like your hair,” “you are so beautiful,” and so on. Do selfies fulfill the need for affirmation?

When you travel alone, you might take selfies just to prove you were there, so as not to lend your camera or phone to a stranger.

Selfish means being egocentric and lacking consideration for others.

Contrast that with selfless, which means thinking of others before one’s self.

Jesus was completely selfless. Yes, Jesus is God, and He is perfect. I am reminded of Philippians 2 which says, Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name (Philippians 2:5-9). Can you imagine that God Himself limited Himself with flesh, became servant to all, and then died a criminal’s death on the cross—for love?

I can’t begin to comprehend this kind of selflessness.

Yet, the Bible says, Let this mind be in you.

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves (Philippians 2:3).

That’s humility. That is selflessness. That is Christ-likeness.

Is a selfie selfish? I have no idea.

Am I selfish?

Way too often.

Let this mind be in me . . . esteeming others . . . serving others . . . not thinking about my reputation . . . humility . . . obedience to God, even unto death.

Laying aside self.

Now that’s the best image, the best selfie of all: selfless.

What a picture!