“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4
God kept me awake for several hours last night over the subject of narcissism. The character trait of narcissism is having an excessive interest in oneself and displaying the attributes of vanity, love for self, conceit, and egotism. This is the antithesis of the personality of Jesus. He hates this behavior and gave up His life so you can be free from this character defect.
If you have a narcissistic personality, you are under the influence of Satan. At some point in time, you accepted the lie that self is the most important thing in your life. You have been deceived and are on a road to disaster.
It is impossible for a believer yielding to God to be controlled by narcissism. This is because almighty God is refining you into a new person and old habits are fading away.
The test to determine if you are measuring up to the standards of God should be based on these characteristics:
Live with truth and nobility (honor and decency)
Mediate on things that are just and pure
Look for the love of God in all things
Conduct yourself with honesty and virtue in all things
Praise God for all good things
No one can perfectly measure up to these qualities. It is impossible. This is why God died for you. He knew your weaknesses and your inability to be like Him. When Jesus died on the cross your old self died with Him. When Jesus was resurrected He gave His life to you in the form of the Holy Spirit.
You have to choose to live through your new identity in Jesus or to live for self. The secret is to yield to the Holy Spirit. You do this by praying to God and committing your life each day to Him. He will guide your thoughts and actions and lead you in a godly path.
The process of walking with God is unconscious because you are yoked to Him through His Spirit. You do not have to be concerned with narcissistic behavior and if you do step over the line God will remind you of your actions.
Just be yourself and let God do the work through you!
Hal Hollister Ministry 