A Culture of Self
When a subject starts stirring in my spirit I begin to leak it and start preparing the mind and spirit of the hearers sometimes 1-2 years in advance. I know it sounds odd but some subject matter is weighty and needs preparatory groundwork.
One of my daughters describes it this way - having your “way of thinking” turned completely upside-down–pulled apart . . . ripped and shredded after having lived that way for so long is…….. traumatic.
I started teaching in 2010 on developing a “Biblical World View.” Everyone has a worldview but very few have a biblical foundation which we view all of life through. Attending church for 25 years does not give one a Biblical World View and that is the dilemma.
Let me start by posing a few questions:
- Why do you believe What you believe?
- How did we get to the current condition America and the church is in?
See what I’ve done? I’ve given you a job to do among nations and governments–a red-letter day! Your job is to pull up and tear down, take apart and demolish, and then start over, building and planting.” Stand Up and Say Your Piece (Jeremiah 1:10) MSG
This is truly another amazing Scripture. God is informing us of a job description. Far too long the body of Christ has dodged their responsibility. People have attended church and some have participated further by getting involved in various ministries. As commendable as this involvement may be it is below the Biblical command and expectations.
God said I have given you a job. Isn’t it amazing how so many are clueless in knowing what God wants them to do?
Your job is to pull up and tear down, take apart and demolish, and then start over. I believe based on Scripture the primary expectation of the Kingdom of God is personal and community “TRANSFORMATION.”
The reason we observe and experience very little transformation is because of one word – SELF.
Self-belief, Self-worth, Self-image, Self-love, Self-acceptance, Self-potential, Self-help, Self- improvement, Self-fulfillment. We are encouraged to come to a higher view of self, to feel good about yourself, to get in touch with your inner-self, and to gain a sense of personal value and worth.
One of the indicators of ” Self” is recognized by the LACK OF GROWTH both intellectually and spiritually, resulting in perpetual Christian adolescence.
How did we get to the current condition America and the church is in?
I am going to share (8) key traits operating in America and the church. Unless we seek the Cross of Christ and deal with SELF, we will continue to digress.
INDIVIDUALISTIC: a person who thinks about himself or herself, and not about his/her role in the community
- Does not care how his/her actions will affect those around him/her
- Rarely consider themselves part of a group or community
- Rarely can be depended upon, counted on, or committed to anything other than themselves
- Seldom seeks to do good for the group
SELF-CENTERED: a person who believes everything exists to make him/her happy
INFANTILE: a person very preoccupied with his or her body, appearance, and with pleasure. They are obsessed with their attractiveness, food, etc.
- Very childish showing immaturity in their understanding and cooperation
- Stretching out a 4 year degree to 5-6 years
- Delaying marriage and children into their 30’s
- Constant need for entertainment and attention
- Instead of adults they are “KID-ULTS”
NARCISSIM: a psychological disorder that causes a person to have an extremely high opinion of oneself
- Education and church participation are evaluated on the basis of personal fulfillment
- Believe that they’re superior to others and have little regard for other people’s feelings
- Exaggerating your achievements or talents
- Failing to recognize other people’s emotions and feelings
- Being easily hurt and rejected
- Trouble keeping healthy relationships
PASSIVE: a person who is a consumer of entertainment and incapable of creating. They get bored very easy by themselves or with others if they do not have a movie, game, video, or some crutch.
- The most powerful factors contributing to passivity is television – watching TV encourages a passive stance toward life
- The average American spends 25 hours weekly watching TV
SENSATE CULTURE: the physical sense-perceptible world is all there is
- Has no interest in arguments for truth, usually a closed mindset
- People know more about celebrities than their history, truth, and teachings
ABSENT INTERIOR LIFE: people have become more concerned about external factors (possession of consumer goods, celebrity status, image, power) rather than development of their interior life
- Lack of internal traits – virtue, morality, character, acting honorably
- Focuses on reality TV, celebrity news/magazines, fashion,
- People are not judged by their internal traits but external – appearance and possessions
BUSYNESS: a hurried, overly busy life
- Little time for reflection on why and what one believes
- Thrives to stay busy to keep from evaluating itself
- A mask for emotional emptiness and spiritual hunger
- A form of IDOLATRY — Anything that stands between a person and their relationship with God; it is an over-attachment to something that is in itself good
Warning: As soon as our loyalty to anything leads us to disobey/dismiss our God, we are in danger of making it an idol. It replaces God with things God has created. 
My next post will directly address what God’s Word instructs us to do about SELF, how to break the love and idolization of SELF, and practical ways to become a world changer in today’s world.
If you sense a “world changing spirit” inside you then you must become equipped and informed. It will take more than youthful zeal void of knowledge.
