[Disclaimer: the author of the site linked in this post, Violent Acres, is particularly caustic at times and expresses herself through very “colorful” language, although her viewpoint is sometimes aligned with Christian values. Please proceed to her site only if you are able to get past the foul language.]

Violent Acres (VA) recently wrote a post entitled Learning to Love Yourself is a Pointless Waste of Time on finding personal fulfillment in life. Her answer is not “finding yourself”:

The reason for this is simple: If you’re spending all your time focusing inward, it’s pretty impossible to make a positive impact anywhere else. Self fulfillment never comes after looking in the mirror and finally realizing you’re a raging narcissist.

No, her answer for personal fulfillment is service. Serving others, living a life worth respecting, focusing outward rather than inward... these are the keys to feeling fulfilled and happy.

Sound familiar? Jesus also taught to struggle against the desire to gratify oneself and, instead, to consider the needs of others. He taught that it is better to serve than to be served. True, VA makes the argument of service for service’s sake, or for personal gratification, while Jesus argues that service is service to God first and foremost. But the fact remains that she makes a very good case for looking outside oneself, even if the motivation is slightly misplaced.

Christians are supposed to have a better motivation for similar acts of service. That said, how are the church and Christians (especially in the US) doing at practicing that service, at living out that motivation? Can the church effectively discard VA’s self-fulfillment purpose for service (as well as her new-Agey “Look outward and your innards will work themselves out” conclusion) but implement the fervor and creativity with which she intends to carry out that service? Do we, as Christians, have something to learn about from this decidedly agnostic worldview?

To quote the post: “So, what are you doing?”