A handsome young hunter in Greek mythology stopped at a clear, calm pool of water to get a drink and noticed his reflection in the still waters. He fell in love with himself and could not bring himself to leave the beauty of his reflection, not even to eat or drink. He was so enamored that he eventually died there, staring at himself, and turned into a flower named…narcissus.
Today there are similar folks in love with themselves. They have become, like that hunter, narcissistic. They possess, by definition, an “excessive interest in or admiration of themselves, with an exaggerated sense of self-importance.” Of the many troubles of having such a condition is that it is counterproductive to the condition to recognize and admit having the condition.
The Bible warns repeatedly of the danger of “exalting self” instead of “humbling self” (Matt. 23:12; Jas. 4:6-10), and the danger of “selfish ambition and conceit” displacing the heart of Jesus (Phil. 2:3-5). May we so fall in love with Jesus and with serving others that our own reflection loses its appeal!