Have you ever been navel watching? No, I am not referring to oranges.
Each of us has embarked on the endeavor of inspecting our own navels. For some it is quite easy, but for some of us, well it is a little more difficult. Each night after I wear a cotton shirt I have to inspect my navel to make sure the lint build-up is at a tolerable level. My level is much higher than that of my wife, so she generally avoids looking at my navel. However, if she happens to notice the lint that seems to be growing out of my navel, well I am quickly rebuked!
Before you are totally grossed out by this discussion, let me get to the point. All of us tend to get focused upon our own navels and enjoy our navel watching excursions. It is fun, at times, to become introspective and think about ourselves. God can even use these times to guide and direct us into a more fruitful life.
However, we quickly slip into navel watching and run into a wall. We must certainly clean the lint out of our navels, but never at the expense of those around us. I cannot think of one person who would enjoy watching me clean out my navel!
The Apostle Paul said something to this effect, “Don’t get so focused upon yourself and what benefits you that you forget about the people around you. In fact, you should consider the people around you as more important than yourself.”
Jesus also said something similar to this, “Get your eyes off of yourselves so that you might see all the people around you and their need for Me.”
Narcissism is a disease that will destroy community. But even beyond, it separates us from our Creator. And if you are so narcissistic to see the need for others or a Creator, let me suggest this – it’s even bad for you. Narcissus wouldn’t leave the pool because he was so in love with his own reflection. May I never become so enthralled with my own navel.
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Thoughts, some profound, and others that are not-so-deep. Some are responses from the pastor of a church community in downtown Colorado Springs to questions texted to him during the weekly service.
4 comments:
Hey Kurt, I fail to see how this relates to the Navy. Are saying that the Navy no longer plays a role in world politics, and peace keeping endovers?
Good word, and timely as only a few minutes ago, I was cleaning my naval!
I, too, am unsure about certain aspects of this post, not so much what is says, but where it leads. The ideas are deep, especially deep for those with innies, but difficult questions arise. If the working out of our salvation can be seen through the working out of our navels, why is there a Salvation Army but no Salvation Navy? Thanks in advance to Kurt and Paul for helping me with this.
I did some research on the concept of the Navy and Belly buttons and found out that Navel is a noun and Naval is an adjective pertaining to the Navy. So, Tim and Paul can be enlightened concerning their comments.
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