So Jesus’ brothers advised him, “Leave here and go to Judea so your disciples may see your miracles that you are performing. For no one who seeks to make a reputation for himself does anything in secret. If you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.”
(John 7:3-4)
The Selfie Mindset isn’t just a modern invention… it was prevalent in biblical times as well. He we find Jesus’ brothers encouraging it. They suggested He should take His popularity to the next level by performing miracles in Jerusalem – the center of the Jewish world. In essence they were saying, “If you want to be really famous, you’ve got to grow your platform. And you can’t do that from here in Galilee. You’ve gotta go to Jerusalem!”
But Jesus refused to be distracted from His mission. He possessed a keen sense of purpose. After all, it was never about Him or His fame. He remained focused on His destiny: the cross.
God has a plan for each of our lives as well. (see Eph. 2:10) In order to complete this mission we have to find our identity in who God says we are, rather than trying to get our 15 minutes of fame. The selfie mindset will sabotage us every time! (And the only way we’ll know what God says about us is to find it in the Bible.) This life isn’t about you or me… it’s all about God and the people He’s sending us to love and serve. If we can’t get this right, we’ll damage the lives of those around us and we’ll never see the fulfillment of God’s plan for our lives.
What do you do to keep your focus on God’s mission for your life?
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
After resigning from his Associate Pastor position in a mega-church in the north Dallas, TX area, Jon and Robin moved their family to Germany in October 2001. There they focused on empowering European church leaders through mentoring and coaching, as well as teaching in seminars, conferences, roundtables and Bible Schools. They also planted a number of churches and youth groups throughout central Europe.
After planting and pastoring a “church for those who don’t do church” in Freiburg, Germany, they returned to the Texas Hill Country in August 2014 to help U.S. churches prepare for the coming Post-Christian cultural shift. Jon’s book, The Coming Post-Christian Tsunami is available in print and Kindle formats from Amazon.com.
Although they reside in the Texas Hill Country, they continue to equip Christian leaders throughout Europe and North America.
Jon and Robin have been married since 1993 and have three children: Ryan, Ashton and Emma.