Keep Looking Up

"I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from?" (Psalm 121:1)

Do you know where your help comes from?

The writer of Psalm 121 knew—answering his rhetorical question in verse 2:

"My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth."

If you notice a recurring theme about focus and the pitfalls of self-focus in my recent entries, it's intentional.

The root cause of much of our emotional depression and problems is an inordinate self-focus, or, more accurately; "self-absorption." As the pastor of our church has rightly defined it several times this year, it is "self-idolatry."

As tough as that is for me to hear, I know he's right.

Throughout most of my life before I met Jesus Christ, I wasted countless hours on constant self-focus and self-absorbed introspection. I'd sit in coffee shops and parks, 'journaling' my thoughts and feelings about my life, and on all the angst other people caused me. I even traveled halfway around the world trying to "find myself." I was so deceived that I actually believed that my introspective thoughts and musings, written down in the form of song lyrics, were actually pretty good writing.

Talk about self-deception.

All those secular 'self-help' books I read only caused me to look 'deeper within' to try and bring out the good person that was supposedly dwelling in me. I believed the humanistic lie of Satan—that my help comes from within myself.

Dead wrong.

Self-absorption is a guaranteed recipe for failure and depression because it causes you to take your eyes off of God. It also causes you to take your eyes off of others who are in need of God's love, mercy and kindness.

Self-absorption is the root of divorce, adultery, and a myriad of other sins. The mantra of self-absorption is, "It's all about me."

Here are a few synonyms for self-absorption from Webster's Dictionary:

"Egocentricity, egocentrism, egomania, egotism, narcissism, navel-gazing, self-absorption, self-centeredness, self-concern, self-interest, self-involvement, selfishness, selfness, self-preoccupation, self-regard."

I used to see signs in yards in the east end of the town we live in that read: "Create Global Peace."

As my wife is sometimes fond of saying, "How's that workin' for ya!"

Seriously, if humanity were indeed evolving—having the capacity within to supposedly attain enlightenment and create global peace—I think the jury has come back on that one folks.  #Fail.

Human nature's first instinct is to look within and ask, "What about me?" Look again at all those synonyms for self-absorption.

From years of being self-absorbed, I can truly testify that it's exhausting being constantly focused on oneself, constantly worried about "me."

Aren't you sick of it?

There is a better way.

The apostle Paul wrote

"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)

Jesus said:

"The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:28)

The secret to experiencing true joy is to, in the love of Christ, take our focus off of ourselves, off of our problems and off of our own needs, and reach out to others in need—to serve them and be concerned about their needs.

Just as Jesus said: "It is far better to give than to receive."

First, look up to Jesus—the Author and finisher of our faith. He is our only source of strength, peace and joy.

Then, look out, to others who are all around you, desperately in need of God's love, mercy and encouragement.

As you deny yourself, taking up your cross, laying down your life and will to follow Jesus, the problems that you are inordinately focused on now, that seem so insurmountable to you today, will grow faintly dim, in the light of God's glory and grace.

Try it—you'll see!

—God is Love, and Love Never Fails.