No Royal Selfies Please

The other day at work, we were finishing up a meeting and the conversation turned casually to the royal wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. None of us got up at 4 am to watch it live, but of course, we all watched snippets here and there on the news. 

Someone mentioned that Meghan Markle, a social media darling, would no longer be able to take selfies. I had no idea this was a royal rule  – but it is. When I asked why, he said “It’s no longer just about her – it’s all about the kingdom!”

Mic drop, tires screeched to a halt, jaw dropped, punch in the gut…all of those analogies represented the emotions I felt as that sentence hung in the air. It’s no longer just about her – it’s all about the kingdom. My immediate response was – That’ll preach!

Not only do royals decline selfies, but they do not host any social media accounts and Meghan had to shut down all of hers – which had thousands of followers by the way. But she did it because she is now part of something much larger than herself.

That 3 minute casual conversation has struck such a convicting chord in my heart that I am not quite sure what to do with it. I feel like Captain Obvious asking the rhetorical question of “How much more effective of a Christ-follower would I be if I lived my life like it is all about the Kingdom and not all about me?” What if I quit taking “spiritual selfies”?

What do spiritual selfies look like anyway? Could it be making church all about us by demanding the music, the decor, the preaching, the way the pastor dresses, or whatever is exactly to our liking? Or maybe our expectation of being ministered to rather than ministering to others has become our spiritual selfie. I don’t know.

I do know this. Jesus told us to seek His Kingdom first…“But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.” Matt. 6:33

Our daughter and son-in-law, Hannah and Jordan, are such living examples of this mindset. They are patiently and diligently preparing for the mission field. They have always been open to “wherever and whatever” God wants them to do. Over the next few weeks, they both will be headed to the Alaskan interior for mission work. Hannah posted this today: That is a mind set on Kingdom work. That is someone not worried about spiritual selfies.

Christians throw around the “i” word a lot – impact. But our impact is severely limited by our selfies. When others look at us, they often see self-centered, self-serving cliques. If we would get into the Kingdom mindset, we would have us some huge IMPACT. More people would know about the real and living hope that a relationship with the King of Kings – Jesus – can bring.

God, help me to be un-selfie. Help me see people with Kingdom eyes.