There are many people that have a personality disorder called narcissism. Here’s the definition of this condition:
Narcissistic personality disorder — one of several types of personality disorders — is a mental condition in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for excessive attention and admiration, troubled relationships, and a lack of empathy for others. But behind this mask of extreme confidence lies a fragile self-esteem that’s vulnerable to the slightest criticism. – Mayo Clinic
If you’ve ever worked with or been in a relationship with a person that is afflicted with narcissism, then you know that it is beyond challenging. Yet, I wonder how many of us are spiritually narcissistic. Do we try to “use” Jesus? Do we charge into situations that require spiritual discernment but, instead, we start making commands “in the name of Jesus.” Most narcissists don’t know their condition until they are told they have that condition. Have we asked the Holy Spirit to show us if we are spiritually narcissistic? Has He been telling us, but we’ve thought, “That’s for someone else, not me.”
When I’m tinkering in my shop I sometimes listen to smooth jazz. One song they play is titled, “What am I to you? The last verse says:
When I look in your eyes
Norah Jones
I can feel the butterflies
I’ll love you when you’re blue
But tell me darlin’ true
What am I to you?
I can imagine that our Heavenly Father has this sentiment when He watches us (Psalm 121:5). He loves us (1 John 4:16), He gives joy to us (John 15:11), and He gave His only Son for us (John 3:16), but when we put our faith in things (Psalms 20:7) instead of Him, He may rightly ask, “What am I to you?”
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