Full of Yourself

I used to always feel amused when someone would say, "You're full of yourself." I'd think to myself, "Of course I am. Otherwise, I wouldn't be me." While we are who we are as God made us and have our unique personalities and DNA, and in that way are full of ourselves (and should be), there is also a problem in being full of oneself.

What? Do you want me to be dissociative or have a break in reality and be apart from myself? I don't wish that on people. However, I am speaking spiritually. Our old nature, our "old man" must die if we are to be in Christ. Instead of being full of ourselves, we need to be filled with Him.

Famed false teacher Joel Osteen once said in an interview, "God wants us to always be increasing." That is a self-centered (selfish) perspective where the focus in on self and on self-glorification. And the problems of such self-focus are seen in the confusion and perversion of our culture from obsessive TikTok videos to seeing if one gets enough social media likes to the inanity of one's preferences in regards to pronouns or in both the science-denying and reality-denying identities spewed forth from gender identities. Our culture is all about one's own preferences. Self is god in our culture. And the consequences are selfishness (obviously), narcissism, confusion, perversion and godlessness. All of this self-focus is in opposition to the Bible. In John 3:30 (NASB), John the Baptist speaks of Jesus and says, "He must increase, but I must decrease."

Paul's words to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NASB) capture the tone of our current days:

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these.

If we are in Christ, then we are to be on a different path. We are on the journey of santification. That means to be made holy, to become more Christlike and only the Holy Spirit can produce this in us (as no holiness comes from me but from Him alone). We are to be set apart from those that follow after the world, the flesh and the devil.

Our aim as Christians should be like that of Paul who wrote to the church in Philippi the following (vv. 3:12-14, NASB):

Not that I have already grasped it all or have already become perfect, but I press on if I may also take hold of that for which I was even taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

I don't make New Year's resolutions, but one thing our family does is offer a gift for Jesus at Christmastime. Now, there is nothing Jesus needs from me and even what I offer Him, I don't give Him perfectly (nor will I do anything perfectly this side of Heaven). However, Jesus wants my heart. Still, I don't give it to Him perfectly. During Christmas 2021, my word was surrender and the year of 2022 ended up being one of significant transitions for my family, and we had to let go of -- surrender -- some things. Yet, there are more than just things and circumstances I am called to surrender. There are things of self and others I must let go. I must entrust them to God. Like Paul says, "forgetting what lies behind..." That is a letting go, a surrendering. Well, entering into this year, I chose again to offer surrender as my gift to Jesus. There was another word to go with it, but that doesn't address the letting go of self and being filled with Christ that this article aims to communicate. I am reminded of Mark 8:36 (NASB) where Jesus says the following:

For what does it benefit a person to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?

How do we not forfeit our souls? We need Christ. Put Him first. Jesus Himself says in Matthew 6:33 (NASB): "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you." Seek Him first. I need Him. You need Him. I sang in church this morning the hymn "I Need Thee Every Hour." Consider the lyrics:

And I need Him not just for the circumstances I face in this world (externally... or even internally in my own mind), but I need Him to fill me.

Paul also addressed being filled with Christ (and having the old nature dead) in Galatians 2:20 (NASB):

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Yet, some naysayers may say they don't like the writings of Paul. Christian, check you heart if you agree with that. The Epistles are part of His Word. Well, if one doesn't want to heed Paul's letters, then consider the very words of Christ in Luke 9:23 (NASB):

If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

And it is daily. It's not as if you check off your list and say, "Hey, I've come to Christ" and just go your merry way. It is daily. Having a relationship with Him is daily. Walking with Him needs to be daily. Needing Him is daily. Yes, we will have tough times, our deserts and valleys, but we need Him there as well. Consider Psalm 23: (KJV):

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

In a sense, we are to be full of ourselves, but as Christians, we are not to be full of our old nature. Rather, the old nature is to be crucified -- dead. And in it's place may we be filled with Christ by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. That is my hope for this year and for each day thereof. And I need Him through it all.

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