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Day 6.
DEATH TO SELFIE
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!
—Philippians 2:5-8 [NIV]
We are living in a selfie world. A selfie is a picture taken “of yourself by yourself” using a smartphone. One insight through my grueling journey with shame and chronic anxiety is I need to be saved from me or the “selfie-life.”
Here is a selfie list from my struggle with shame and chronic anxiety:
- Self-consciousness: what will people think?
- Self-criticism: what’s wrong with me?
- Self-pity: what about me?
- Self-protection: how can I protect myself?
- Self-reliance: can I do it myself?
- Self-blame: what have I done to deserve this?
- Self-rejection: do I even belong here?
- Self-gratification: how can I numb my pain?
FOR THOUGHT AND CONTEMPLATION
The only remedy to the destructive selfie-life is unconditional surrender. We often associate the word “surrender” with the bitter and humiliating resignation of defeat in war.
Jesus has rewritten the script of life and profoundly proclaimed a Kingdom paradox: “Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self.” [Mark 8:35, MSG]
We don’t need another “self-help” book to assist us in navigating through our brokenness and shame. What we do need is to surrender our agenda and seek “Jesus-help” to transform our broken lives.
It’s time for Death to Selfie.
It’s time to welcome the blessedness of self-forgetfulness.
It’s time to renew our passionate gaze upon the glory of God.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”
—Psalm 139:23-24 [NLT]
Pray to God to reveal how the “selfie-life” has recently manifested in your life.
With a spirit of humility, confess your sin before God and surrender your life afresh to His dynamic reign in your life.
Scripture
About this Plan
The SHAME OFF YOU devotion will take you on an eight-day pilgrimage for your soul, embracing the ancient wisdom of the Biblical narrative and a diversity of spiritual practices such as meditation, reflection, prayer, and confession. Are you ready to be a shame buster? Start reading and start moving in partnership with the Holy Spirit into shame-free living.
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We would like to thank Rob Mason for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: http://robmason.co
