What if there’s a bigger picture?

Self-absorption. Wow. That is a convicting thing to study. I always thought that it was more of a pride thing. You know, like the people who just can’t seem to get enough of how great they are. They brag about everything that they have ever done well. It’s not just that. Self-absorption consists of talking about things that have happened in your life good or bad. It is entirely possible to talk about yourself, and be negative all the time…that’s just as bad. 

You know there is nothing wrong about sharing the trials in your life. God even tells us to not go through things alone. I have noticed in myself that I have a tendency to share with people only the negative and none of the positive. That’s when it becomes self-absorption. 

My mom recently challenged me to be aware of every time I use the word “I” in a sentence. I prayed about it and God really helped me to notice every time I said the word “I”. WOW. That’s all I have to say. I was in awe of how self-absorbed I was. The next day she challenged me to follow every “I” statement, with a “You” Statement. I prayed that God would help me to remember to do this, and He did. That was really an eye opening experience for me. I was living outside my own little world and it was the COOLEST thing ever! It really softens your heart towards others and it helps to see inside their situation a little better. 

I have a LONG way to go that was one day, one small step. You walk one foot in front of the other, right?

There is a song by Matthew West called, “My Own Little World”. The lyrics are(and I really want you to read them and let it really sink in…) :

 In my own little world it hardly ever rains

I’ve never gone hungry, always felt safe

I got some money in my pocket, shoes on my feet

In my own little world

Population: me

I try to stay awake during Sunday morning church

I throw a twenty in the plate, but I never give ’til it hurts

I turn off the news when I don’t like what I see

Yeah,it’s easy to do when it’s

Population: me

What if there’s a bigger picture?

What if I’m missing out?

What if there’s a greater purpose

I could be living right now

Outside my own little world oooh

Well, I stopped at a red light, looked out my window

I saw a cardboard sign, said “Help this homeless widow”

Above that sign was the face of a human

and I thought to myself, “God, what have I been doing?”

So I rolled down the window and I looked her in the eye

I thought how many times have I just passed her by?

So I gave her some money then I drove on through

And my own little world reached

Population: two

What if there’s a bigger picture?

What if I’m missing out?

What if there’s a greater purpose

I should be living right now

Outside my own little world yeah, yeah

My own little world oooh 

Father break my heart for what breaks Yours

Give me open hands and open doors

and put Your Light in my eyes and let me see

That my own little world is not about me

What if there’s a bigger picture?

What if I’m missing out?

What if there’s a greater purpose

That I could be living right now

Well I dont wanna miss what matters

i wanna be reaching out

showing the greater purpose 

so I could be living right now

Outside my own little world oooh

My own little world yeah

My own little world oooh

I could be missing out on the greater purpose, because I can’t get outside my own little world….

Some of the things I came across in the Bible about the danger of being self-absorbed: 

• God Is Not In The Thoughts Of A Self-Centered Person.(Psalm 10:4)
• Love is Many Things, But It is Not Self-Centered.(1 Corinthians 13)
• A Self-Centered Person Glories In Himself And Not In God.(Jeremiah 9:23)

These are just a few of the many things that I learned, and I am trying to fix them, with God’s help. I want to challenge you now to do what my mom told me to do and see the difference it makes in your life. It definitely made a difference in mine….

What if there’s a bigger picture? Oh wait, There is I’m stuck in my own little world……….