Tax season…ugh! Thank You, Father, that everything is done except for getting things in the mail. Thank You for the ability to persevere!
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Over the last several days, I’ve passed these flowers on my elementary route, their beauty frequently catching my eye. Yesterday, I swung by and took a picture. They’re lovely, aren’t they?
I wasn’t sure what kind of flowers they were, but taking pictures helped me to identify them. Their scientific name is Narcissus poeticus, but they are more commonly known as the poet’s daffodil (narcissus) or the pheasant’s eye. Nature can teach us a lot about God, but the biggest connection with this flower and a lesson that we can learn is that of the “person” from whom it gets its name.
A character named Narcissus in Greek and Roman legends was known by all for his beauty. He rejected all advances from those who saw him and eventually fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water. In time, he died in agony at being kept apart from this reflected love, and in his place sprouted a flower bearing his name. A little crazy? For sure!
The character of Narcissus is the origin of the term narcissism, a self-centered personality style characterized as having an excessive preoccupation with oneself and one’s own needs, often at the expense of others.
While many psychologists believe that a moderate degree of narcissism is normal and healthy in humans, there are also more extreme forms that fall into the category of mental illness.
The Apostle Paul in Philippians 2:4 states,
Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. AMP
In his writings to Timothy, he also declared,
For people will be lovers of self [narcissistic, self-focused], lovers of money [impelled by greed], boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane, [and they will be] unloving [devoid of natural human affection, calloused and inhumane], irreconcilable, malicious gossips, devoid of self-control [intemperate, immoral], brutal, haters of good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of [sensual] pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of [outward] godliness (religion), although they have denied its power [for their conduct nullifies their claim of faith]. Avoid such people and keep far away from them. 2 Timothy 3:2-5 AMP
All of us can be a bit narcissistic at times, thinking only of ourselves and not of others, but as followers of Christ, we should heed His words as recorded in Mark 8:34,
“If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]. AMP
Apr 14th, 2024, Sun, 6:26 pm
