Christ Centered in a Selfie-Centered World

Christ Centered in a Selfie-Centered World

“He must increase, but I must decrease.” — John 3:30

In 1746, Jonathan Edwards wrote Religious Affections to help the Church distinguish between genuine spiritual life and its counterfeits. He was not writing primarily to atheists or skeptics. He was addressing churchgoers—people who participated in revival, spoke openly about God and claimed powerful spiritual experiences.

Edwards recognized a dangerous distinction: The false Christian delights chiefly in his own experiences, while the true Christian delights in the Lord.

That warning reads as though it were written for 2026.

We are living in a time when many people have made themselves the heroes of their spiritual stories. Instead of examining their feelings by the Word of God, they examine the Word of God by their feelings. Scripture is accepted when it affirms them, reinterpreted when it confronts them and ignored when it requires something from them.

The Bible warns us why this is so dangerous:

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” — Jeremiah 17:9

Our feelings may be sincere and still be wrong. Our experiences may be powerful and still be misleading. Even spiritual language can disguise pride, self-promotion and disobedience. Both 2 Peter 2 and Jude warn that counterfeit faith can exist among God’s people, using the language of truth while quietly turning attention away from Christ.

True Christians talk much about God; false believers are great talkers about themselves.

Delighting in God, Not Ourselves

True spiritual affection begins with the beauty and worthiness of God. The Christian’s joy is anchored in who God is—not merely in how God makes us feel.

“Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory.” — Psalm 115:1

John the Baptist expressed the heart of genuine faith when he said:

“He must increase, but I must decrease.” — John 3:30

The true believer speaks much of Christ, delights in Christ and gives glory to Christ. He does not need to be seen, applauded or recognized. He is content to stand behind the cross so that others may see Jesus.

That is the foundation of genuine faith: not delight in ourselves, but delight in God.

When Experience Becomes an Idol

Religious experiences are not necessarily evidence of spiritual maturity. Emotion can accompany a genuine work of God, but emotion alone proves nothing.

Edwards warned that counterfeit faith can resemble a castle built in the air—impressive in appearance, soaring with emotion, yet lacking a solid foundation. It may be built on imagination, self-love, pride, excitement, and the desire to feel spiritually important.

We see this danger throughout the Church today:

- “My truth” replaces God’s truth.
- Testimonies become autobiographies.
- Personal platforms overshadow the pulpit.
- Emotional intensity is mistaken for holiness.
- Visibility is mistaken for spiritual authority.
- Self-expression replaces self-denial.

There is nothing wrong with telling what God has done in our lives. Scripture repeatedly calls us to testify of His goodness. But the purpose of a testimony is to glorify the One who saved us—not to glorify the person telling it.

When my experience, my feelings, my calling, my platform and my story become the center, Christ is pushed toward the margins.

Who Receives the Glory?

Here is a sobering test: When we tell our spiritual story, who receives the glory?

The genuine work of the Holy Spirit does not leave us impressed with ourselves. It humbles us before God, makes Christ increasingly precious, draws us into Scripture and produces a growing desire to obey Him.

True faith says:

Look at Christ.
Look at His grace.
Look at His mercy.
Look at what He has done.
Look at the cross.
Self-centered faith says:

Look at my experience.
Look at my insight.
Look at my influence.
Look at my suffering.
Look at me.

The true work of the Spirit does not make us obsessed with our own story. It makes us devoted to His.

The Question We Must Ask

The answer is not to reject emotion, but to refuse to be ruled by it. We do not silence our experiences; we submit them to the will of God. We do not deny our feelings; we examine them beneath the light of Scripture.

The most important questions are not:

Have I experienced something powerful?
Have I felt close to God?
Have I received attention for my testimony?
Have I seen dreams or visions?

The question is:

Has Christ become precious to me?

When Christ is precious, self begins to fade.

When Christ is central, pride begins to die.

When Christ is exalted, the heart becomes anchored.

And when Christ is the hero, our story finally points people toward the truth.

Let us prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, search my heart and reveal every place where pride, emotion or self-interest has taken the place that belongs to You. Forgive me when I have spoken more about myself than about Your Son. Teach me to examine my feelings by Your Word and to seek Your glory above my own. May Christ increase in my life, and may I willingly decrease. Let everything I say, everything I do and every testimony I share point others toward Jesus. Not unto me, Lord, but unto Your name be the glory.

In Jesus’ name, amen.