How important are you?

To me, there is a gaping hole in the church of Christ as it has evolved in 2012, and society as a whole. The hole I am referring to is the false teaching (by some) uneducated teachers of the faith that seeking "self" in daily life is not Christian. To that I disagree. I may ruffle a few feathers of the purely-religious, but I live in a country where my rights to free speech are guaranteed in the Bill of Rights in our glorious Constitution.

"Self" means one thing: Me. Or "us," as a whole. And "self," does not every time it's used mean evil or selfish tendencies as most Biblical teachers would lead you to believe. If I bought-into their teaching that "self" is not important, mediocre, or not even viewed in God's never-dimmed eyes, then I would be less than a fool. The accepted King James Version of the Bible states clearly in Genesis, chapter one, "let us make man in (our) image," God is saying to the other two members of the Holy Trinity--Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. So with that as my foundation, we, the members of mankind, have the same emotions as God himself. Envy, love, laughter, sensitivity and happiness. So why the confused teaching that "self" isn't in God's equation of life? One scripture that has been mis-taught. Misunderstood. And misused. "first, deny thy self, take up your cross and follow me daily," was the words of Jesus, God's son, while he was walking the earth. The first part of that scripture is where these "non-self" teachers get their fuel.

Sure I will concede that if I spend my time "only" dwelling on what "I" can get. Accomplish. Or gather only for myself, then yes, I agree with these teachers. But when I lend "my-SELF," to the daily changing given me by believing and practicing what Jesus taught, then "self" cannot be viewed as evil. Or a hindrance.

And yes, I am persuaded in my soul, that you and I are important. Not selfishly, greed-driven important, but important to someone else in our pathway of life. Maybe a distant family member who has been an outcast for a bad choice. Or maybe coworker who has committed a crime. It really doesn't matter to me. Or God. "He" simply wants us to lend "our-SELVES" to each other if for no other reason but to be there for the hurting person in front of us. You see, "self," is not as evil as some would lead you, or love to lead you, to believe.

As a favor to me, do "your-SELF" a big favor today, or tomorrow, and present yourSELF to someone else as a person who can do both, listen and hear what they are saying. And a person who can, without judging, be "the" difference in their life.

Maybe the "only" difference of their entire life.