Selfies: Is It All About YOU?

They are definitely all over Facebook and Instagram. You have seen them too! Of course I am referring to those selfie’s. Those self portraits that are taken by extending your arm and click, it’s all about you! It’s amazing how many people love to post pictures of themselves. I’m not talking about just any old picture but usually there self portraits are taken from their phones with expressions from silly looks to puckered lips. It’s as if as they extend their hand to take a picture of themselves that their face somehow becomes distorted.

Have you ever noticed how many songs there are that talk about self? Take a look at the top 50 songs. (Forgive the exploitative in the link.)

I observed one lady sitting at a restaurant taking a picture after picture of herself and then studying each one. She must’ve taken at least 20 pictures. Not sure if she was looking for the right pose or if she was confused about who’s face was in the image. Maybe she was posting pictures to several of her social media outlets. Nevertheless, I found it to be rather distracting and humorous at the same time.  It seemed that as she raised her arm to take the picture her lips would pucker up. It was funny to see her do this over-and-over.

What is it about our society today? Is it because of the popularity of social media? Maybe it’s our need to be seen and heard? We live in a world filled with individuals who seem bent on making sure that everyone knows of their existence. It’s a very self-centered reality. If you’re not watching ourselves as we take glamour shots and post to social media we are watching reality TV that seems to exploit the same thing. Maybe we are trying to live our lives through others that we find more interesting and glamorous?

James 1:23-24
For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.

In the book of James were reminded that there were selfies being taken even back in that day. Certainly they did not have photography but they did have self portraits. Sometimes, if you were famous enough and rich enough you could put your image on a coin. There were paintings and other displays of selfies.

There were mirrors that reflected their image. James seems to say that we easily forget and so we have to examine ourselves often in the mirror. Maybe that’s why so many people take self portraits today. They forget what they look like when they walk away.

A moment of personal reflection…. I like taking pictures of others and hate taking pictures of myself. I own several selfie sticks that I have used often to create community as I take pictures of groups of people and post them on social media. I take them often. It could be that I’m no different than those who post selfie‘s of themselves but I love to brag on people that I know when they have accomplishments and achievements. I enjoy letting other people know that I have noticed then.

When when it comes to myself, I look at myself often first thing in the morning to make sure that my hair is correct or that I don’t have any creepy things stuck to my face. I go throughout my day not really examining what I look like but there are those occasions when I need to make a small adjustment to my hair do or I make sure that I don’t have spinach in my teeth.

I find it rather peculiar the amount of times that not only teenagers but also adults take pictures of themselves often and place them on social media. Well I’m not trying to criticize them it does remind me of this passage of scripture in James where it seems as if we forget what we look like. Could it be that we’re examining the wrong image in all those social media pics?

Could it be that we could take the image of Christ as our image? Might it be that we could reflect Him in all that we do and say? Could it be that we ought to examine ourselves to see if we even match up to the image that Christ would have for us?

We seem to make every effort to let people know our individual self. Society seems spent on forming an identity that doesn’t necessarily match up to that of Christ. The danger is that if we take only our identity and promote our individuality that we may miss out on the values in the characteristics that are wholesome and gave eternal value.

Maybe the lesson is that what we see in the mirror as self reflection is but a reminder that this is temporary. Perhaps it is a reminder that only what is in Christ is eternal and of significant value. Certainly we are created in God’s image and if we are to reflect that image we are to bring Him glory.