Recently we came on “Self” magazine. You have to be careful opening it or the images may bite you. I told Pam, “I wonder if there is an ‘Others Magazine”, and if there were, would anyone buy one?'”
“Self” will teach you how you can get skinny and sexy, how to dress and style your hair with fashion, how to prepare delicious meals, and of course, give pointers on relationships. The thing that concerns me is the seductive notion, “Draw a circle around your feet and find the center of the universe.”
I read a few of the articles and they were good. Sometime we need to be retold, “Exercise, sleep well, and eat right.” Some people don’t take care of themselves and need to be reminded. In some religious circles self-denial is taught so severely that to take a bath or brush your teeth is suspect.
If you are malnourished, afflicted with an illness or simply run down, by all means take care of yourself. But take serious warning; self-worship is a terrible dead end. Jesus gave us a caution and promise, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?” (Luke 9:24-26 NIV)
It seems counter intuitive but denying self and living to please our heavenly Father is the best way to take care of self. If you wish to better honor God you better optimize your health. If you seek to serve others you had best seek superior vigor.
To me the underlying question is, “Who will be the object of my worship?” Two people may pursue the optimization of their minds and bodies but do so with different motives, one to please the self -god, the other to please the living God.
I did find “Self” useful for paint papering around the bathroom window today and the note on the health qualities of olive oil was good as well. God bless the writers of “Self” and those that read their articles. May we all find the right “Center.”
Steven C Johnson
https://landingstripenterprises.com/
