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The World Selfie Record

The World Selfie Record

     You may not have even realized this record existed. Apparently, there is a record for the most selfies taken in one hour, which is held by Arizona Cardinals Patrick Peterson at 1,449. There is a guy who had tried to shatter this record, Bhanu Prakash. He was so set on breaking this record that he quit his job as a research assistant at a hospital just so he could train himself. Prakash did not stop there though. He did hand and wrist exercises to ensure his success. Peterson still holds the record, however.

     Everything about this is funny, and maybe a little sad.  It is certainly odd that he would quit his job to break this record, much less actually train for it, but maybe he was planning on quitting anyway.  I suppose this is relatively harmless, but Bhanu Prakash’s mindset does seem to touch on a common problem in our world.  Too often we replace the most important things with the things that are unimportant.

     We focus much of our time to become great at a hobby, and the most important things are set aside.  We let our kids skip out on church and Bible class for sports, and the most important things are set aside.  We end up spending many mindless hours fixed on TV, and the most important things are set aside.  We miss out on worship to keep stepping up the ladder at work, and the most important things are set aside.

     On the eternal scale, most things have very limited importance.  Compared to having a right relationship with God, many things have essentially no importance.  Yet time and time again we see people make these and other things their focus, and the most important things are set aside.

     At one point in his life king Solomon began placing his focus on earthly things like riches, property, possessions, and power.  He took the things that were unimportant and tried to make them important.  Every single time he found them to be meaningless and vanity.  In fact, he uses this word “vanity” over 20 times in Ecclesiastes.  After all his experimentation, he finally realized what was most important, “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil” (12:13-14).

     There is nothing wrong with hobbies, sports, fun, or work, but let us keep them in the proper place.  Nothing is more important than fearing and obeying the Lord.  Let us stop replacing the most important things with the unimportant things.  Let us place God as number one in our lives (Mark 12:30).

Additional note from Odie: The very fact there is a world selfie record explains WHY we put lesser things first and first things last. We are a self-centered species interested in pursuing our own interests and pleasures.