This was written by Jerry Price.
The topic today is, “Me Games”. Without getting into a big word like narcissism, how about let’s give a simple definition of me games? “Me games” means “I outshine others, especially you, and my view of myself is less than true.”
When i think i’m more than i am, bigger than you, faster than you, brighter than you, wiser than you, the stage is set for one great big frustration and disappointment after another. Me games motivate us to exaggerate the value of our own thoughts. It causes us to elevate our opinions and raises the importance of the fulfillment of what we perceive as our needs, even above God’s and, of course, decidedly higher than anyone else. Here is a sticky statement, please let it sink down into your thinking machine: Pride, arrogance, and self-centeredness will cause us to slit our eyes to see only what we want to see, close our ears to hear only what we want to hear, and will turn the song in our mouth into the braying of a donkey.
Whether adolescent or adult, this all-about-me person won’t admit if they’ve hurt others, pushing people away. They only look at their good side, they only play the parts of their mental movie that shows themselves being the hero, and they play it over and over and over. i wonder if we do that because we figure if we play the movie of our own exaggerated importance maybe, just maybe, we’ll actually become as important as we wish we were. Now, it’s true, there is indeed something to be said for having a positive mental image of ourselves, absolutely, but when we play it out at the expense of others, with no regard for anything other than our own elevation, we can rest assured, the Lord is going to address this. It is the game of “I win at your expense”.
There are many areas of life the Bible doesn’t seem to say much about, but oh, you can believe it, it is there, we’re just not seeing it. It says a lot of things are right, it says a lot of things are wrong, you should do this, you shouldn’t do that, but it doesn’t seem to say much concerning a few other things. i call them gray areas, between the black and the white of the bad and the good. Not everything in life is cut and dried so we must read and listen closely. It is true, as a Christian we do indeed have liberty. If what we’ve got in mind isn’t scripturally incorrect or maybe even the Lord just straight out says, “Don’t do that”, then i believe we have the technical and the moral right to do it. But, there are two things basically that should determine whether you do or don’t. It is a discipline within ourselves to think and determine the following, so don’t give up. One, how will it affect others, and two, how will it affect you? Me game players rarely play the entire movie, they only play out the part where they get to be the champion, and thinking to themselves about the negative effect of their actions for themselves or others, well, that simply isn’t part of their process.
My wife recently gave me an article entitled Burglar abuses “dumb” victim in apology letter. The letter from a 16-year-old burglar was released by the West Yorkshire police in London to show the mindset of criminals who target people’s home.
The young burglar writes, “To be honest I’m not bothered or sorry about the fact that I burgled your home. I don’t know why I am writing a letter to you! I have been forced to write this letter by ISSP.”
The young offender went on to say the victim failed to draw their curtains before they went to sleep and were “thick enough” to leave their downstairs window open. Then he says, “I’m not going to show any sympathy or remorse.”
Notice this offender’s Me Game? There is no thought for how he hurt someone else, only that he was gratified and that he was more right, and he leveraged the outcome in his favor at someone else’s expense. And, there it is: he leveraged the outcome in his favor at someone else’s expense. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about a criminal offender or a regular citizen, this game can be played by anyone, anytime, anyplace. It’s all about me, me, me, the great and mighty me, yes me and the other person is just collateral damage the great and mighty me is more than willing to live with. The Me Game player is more important and everyone else, well, they’re simply disposable.
Out of many thoughts on this, one is demonstrated by Jesus. The Bible states in Matthew 20, “…the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
1 Peter 4:10, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in various forms.”
Even in my motives for serving, it can still be all about me, but when I see Jesus, i mean really “see” Jesus, it is obvious, God truly has a heart for others and sacrificed Himself for us. Those who play Me Games won’t do that. That’s right, not “can’t” do that, but “won’t” do that. They are choosing.
Let us all be more like Jesus, having a genuine heart for the well being of others, like Timothy, who Paul speaks of in Philippians 2:20, saying there is no one among his companions like him, for he will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.
Thanks for listening, i’m Social Porter for Living In His Name Ministries.