I Wanna Talk About Me!

Don’t be selfish; don’t live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. Don’t think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing. Phil. 2:3-4 NLT

Country singer Toby Keith sings a song that we jokingly sang to our oldest daughter when she was too demanding of our time. Meghan, our sixteen year old, will always remember her father and I singing I Wanna Talk About Me off tune and much too loudly, while we were driving on a family vacation. After what felt like hours of our oldest child talking on and on about herself, her life, her thoughts, her, her, her, we just couldn’t take it anymore. In unison we sang;

I wanna talk about me
Wanna talk about I
Wanna talk about number one
Oh my me my
What I think, what I like, what I know, what I want, what I see
I like talking about you you you you you, usually, but occasionally
I wanna talk about meeeeeeee!

Our other three children started cracking up. They too had been held hostage by their oldest sister and her me, me, me, attitude for far too long. It was a true Kodak moment.

If we were to be honest with ourselves, often times teenagers are no different than any of us. As adults we’ve just learned to be a bit more discreet about our selfish natures. There are three huge steps that trip me up every single time in this Christian walk of mine. I’ve named these three boulders on my daily path, me, myself and I. When my husband and I are talking, I am just aching to put in my two cents, no matter what the topic. He will just stop mid-sentence and say, “You are just waiting to talk aren’t you?” Well, of course! Me, myself and I, have some mighty wisdom to impart.

As ugly as my nature can be, I can sniff out the selfish nature in another person like a police dog. Once I find it in someone else I can become quite irritated. What a hypocrite, huh? Thankfully, the moment I reveal that ugliness in another, there’s a saying that immediately comes to mind and pierces my heart. A soft voice whispers to my soul, “My sin always looks worse on somebody else.”

Just this morning I was reminded of the times this week where I too had been selfish with my family and friends, putting my needs, my desires, my wants first. Back to the cross I went, asking the Lord to forgive my selfishness and to give me a heart like His. Thankfully, when we ask Him to forgive our sins, He is faithful to forgive us our sins.

The scripture above says it all. I’m to be humble, to think of others as better than myself and to actually take time to put thoughts of others and how they are doing ahead of my own. Today my selfish nature is getting a time-out. I am going to take a twenty-four hour fast from me, myself and I. I am going to focus on others today. In every conversation with my friends and family, I will keep the topic from being about my life, my thoughts or my needs. Not an easy task for someone who just wants to talk about me.

8 Responses to I Wanna Talk About Me!
  1. Tiffanie
    August 19, 2008 | 9:53 am

    Hubby’s arrival home each evening is a perfect opportunity for me to show selflessness, though I’m not always perfect at doing so. When we were first married… I was the worst, and it was all about ME. Overtime though, I have learned to be less and less selfish (there are probably a lot of aspects in marriage that have taught me to be other focused).

  2. Beth (A Mom's Life)
    August 19, 2008 | 11:16 am

    “My sin always looks worse on somebody else.”

    I love that line! Great post!

  3. amy
    August 19, 2008 | 2:03 pm

    Great post!

  4. elaine
    August 19, 2008 | 2:32 pm

    On my best day, it’s all about me. God help me to get the right perspective. He, alone, is able to do so.

    peace~elaine

  5. Becoming Me
    August 19, 2008 | 4:25 pm

    Excellent post. I spend way too much time on me, me, me.

  6. LauraLee Shaw
    August 19, 2008 | 4:37 pm

    Oh yes. I find it is one thing to know this and suuuuuuuch another thing to live it out. But oh how I long to.

  7. genny
    August 19, 2008 | 5:16 pm

    Such a great, great reminder! Thank you Joanne! (And I have to say, that Toby Keith song always makes me laugh…it’s corny, but it does have a great beat!)

  8. Angie
    August 20, 2008 | 12:20 pm

    You said it all. I think we can all probably name sung that tune! I KNOW I sure CAN! I have had the days of the “woe is me”—and mother will say—in her perfect southerness…”Now, Angie—“this too shall pass”…and I ALWAYS say…”yes mother…but for now…let me wallow. Okay? BUT I know that I need to snap out of it—and get with the program…and CONCENTRATE on others. My 5th grade teacher (yes I DO remember a few things from school 🙂 ) used to tell us—in public school no less—that to have true joy…we must put Jesus first, Others second, and You last. J-O-Y.
    This was soooo good Joanne. I just LOVE YOU! (I have had my quota of caffiene….can you tell????)