ME, MYSELF AND I

From My Perspective - - -

There are several people who thrive on Self-Adulation. Some of them are, (a) people in sports, (b) people in the performing arts, and (c) people in politics. The terse definition is: “excessive devotion to someone, servile flattery.” Those who show devotion to someone are usually called “fans” (which is abbreviated for ‘fanatics’). In our culture, we can readily see examples of self-adulation. When a politician continually makes reference to “I, Me, My”, he/she is seeking to draw attention to oneself. The idea is to have someone think well of one’s accomplishments and to have that in mind when the next election cycle is scheduled. In sports, one might remember a boxer who continually boasted, “I am the greatest.” Some athletes, desiring to be “the greatest”, allow themselves to indulge in the use of performance enhancement drugs. The hope is that they will be better able to achieve their goals and achieve recognition, honor, and increase in remuneration.

One of the problems with “self-adulation” is that it crosses over into self-aggrandizement, namely, “the act of making something or someone appear greater than is actually warranted by the facts; expansion of power, wealth, rank or honor.” Politicians are notorious when it comes to self-promotion of themselves and denigration of anyone deemed to be an opponent. It gets relegated to the idiom – “All’s Fair in Love and War” – as the reason, or excuse, for unseemly behavior and/or inaccurate statements. The Free Dictionary defines the phrase as: “something that you say or do which means behavior that is unpleasant or not fair is acceptable during an argument or competition.” Another phrases that come into play is: “The ends justifies the means.” It is a victory at any cost mentality. An illustration of this is an action that was taken against the New Orleans Saints by the National Football League for their “Crush-For-Cash” bounty system. It targeted players on opposing teams. The Bounty was for the Saints Player that caused an injury to another player on a team they were playing. It occurred because of a culture that thrives on a “win at any cost” mentality. The Saints got caught and were penalized for their scheme and actions.

In life, the culture of “win at any cost” prevails as well. One can see it in the “piling on” when someone is disliked or who has proven to be inept at a task. This is sometimes called “kicking a man when he is down.” This happens frequently in all areas of life. Our culture accepts this and those who feel differently just silently go along with the inevitable. The one who is subjected to the “piling on” and being “kicked while down” can fall into a self-denigrating mode and mentality. It is a loss of self-worth, as well as a loss of self-respect. One has to appreciate the philosophy of life manifested by Ethel Waters. She was reported to have said: “I know I’m somebody ‘cause God don’t make no junk.” It’s not correct grammar but it is correct thinking.

In this whole matter of self-adulation and self-aggrandizement, there is a much needed perspective and guideline. In Romans 12:3, “ For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment…” The Message paraphrases Romans 12:2-3, “Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you…Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you.”This perspective is stated in Rick Warren’s Book, The Purpose Driven Life, where it begins: “It’s not about you…it’s all about God and His purpose." Are you influencing our culture – or – is our culture influencing you? You are here to Be An Influence for God and His Kingdom.  Consider these things with me!