Narcigesis has no place in the home
Narcigesis is something that has become increasingly popular in the last few years. If you don’t know what Narcigesis is, it’s when you make the bible central to you and centrally focused on God.
According to the Church and Gospel, “Narcigesis, then, would be the practice of interpreting a passage of scripture where the pastor/teacher or the listener himself is inserted into the text. In other words, this is the act of interpretation where the meaning of the text is not only forced into the text but is centered around the listener or teacher/preacher.”
Think about your celebrity pastors that emphasize themselves rather than the gospel as a whole. Looking at you Steven Furtick.
https://youtu.be/8VXQqSJCyMU
Jesus says that all scripture points to him and this new wave of progressive “Christianity” points to the self. It places you in the bible. Everything works for you and revolves around you.
While we can discuss in great depth how this doesn’t work for Christians but more specifically I want to talk about how Narcigesis rears its ugly head in the home and how it has zero place in our home.
You know my favorite scripture is 1 Peter 4:9.
“Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.”
Hospitality Forces You to Ditch Selfishness
In 1 Peter 4:9, God says we are to offer hospitality without grumbling.
Dictionary.com defines hospitality in two ways.
- the friendly reception of guests and strangers
- the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way.
Being warm, friendly, and generous is the opposite of selfishness.
It’s putting someone else above you. If you’re wrapped up in a Narcigesis view of God, Jesus, and the scriptures, you won’t be going above and beyond for others and if you do, it’s probably not for the right reasons.
People sucked into a narcigesis view often do things for the glory of others. They claim to offer hospitality, service, etc. for the good of others and to serve the Kingdom but then will tell all their friends, post on social media, etc. in order to obtain praise and worship from others.
The focus then becomes on them and their works instead of pointing back to Jesus.
Are you Mary or Martha?
We all know this story. Jesus is coming to visit Mary, Martha & Lazarus. Mary decided to focus on Jesus and His teachings and Martha focused on making sure the home was clean.
When Jesus addresses the two women He says, “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42
Too often we’re focused on other tasks that make us feel good and give us recognition when Jesus is right in front of us.
Are you focused on ensuring the home is perfect because people will praise you for it or are you ready to invite the Spirit into your home so you can grow your testimony?
I believe it’s imperative our home is a place of peace where the Spirit can dwell but caring for the home should not take the place of getting closer to God. It should not negate your scripture study time. It should not interrupt your prayer time.
I believe our home can be a place where we can offer hospitality to strangers and invite them to grow their testimony but if we’re focused on our home instead of the testimony borne there, we’ve lost sight of the purpose.
That’s when we make it all about us instead of focusing on the Gospel.
Putting God First
It is vital that we as Christian women check our hearts and ask ourselves, “Is this pointing to God or myself? Am I the focus or is God?”
If you say this feels more about me than about who God is and what He has done for us, then you’ve fallen into the narcigesis trap.
Trust me, it’s easy to do! It sounds good. It looks rooted in scripture. But then the interpretation becomes about the self and not about God.
In a world self-obsessed and preaching copious amounts of self-love, we have to work hard to go against the grain and check the scriptures against our own carnal nature.
If you are truly walking in obedience, then Narcigesis will have no place in your home. You cannot be the wife and mother God has called you to be if you’re always focusing on you and not your Savior. Make sure you’re focused on God every day by grabbing one of my planning sheets. Pencil in your time with God first and create good daily habits.
One Comment