The Believer Loves To Obey
The narcissist (arrogant insolent) has a deep need to be continually validated by others, but don’t want to get too close to anyone. They demand attention, but don’t have any inclination to validate others, unless the validation of others makes those listening like the narc. They seek supply for their ego, companionship is not for mutual bonding and love, but for one person to receive, and that would be the narcissist.
Even using manipulative lies and intimidation when anyone asks for attention from them. The only time they supply attention to anyone else is if it elevates them in some way or they see that their target is moving away from them. This is a description of the narcissist (arrogant insolent) who will do good works for no other reason except to appear superior to others and feel good about them self, further elevation of soul.
Isaiah 64:6 “For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.”
The only way good works can be valid in the eyes of God is if they are selfless and in obedience to the Holy Spirit that lives in a believer.
We see lots of useless “good works” in the unsaved world, they say things like “I love doing this, it makes ME feel so good.” The subject of their language is not the poor and needy but their own enjoyment of the act. I cringe every time I hear a testimony like this, it flies in the face of the Scripture that expressly instructs us to do our good deeds in secret.
There is a difference between sharing your joy with another brother in Christ, quite another to use every opportunity for giving, to bring self-exaltation.
Those who love the Lord have no concern about whether they will feel good about it, they often have a sense of joy for having obeyed God, but they do not discuss what they are doing, if it comes up, brought up by someone else, their response is always in terms of the need of others. Those who are deeply connected by the Holy Spirit are openly happy at the joy of another believer. A narcissist does not engage in the joy of others but negates their accomplishments and works because the attention is not on them personally.
The narcissist is only happy when he is getting all the attention, it is an affront to their happiness when someone else gets attention for doing well.
When we feel excited about giving and brag about it, then perhaps we would not do it if it was hard for us or gave us a bad feeling. Narcissists never do good deeds to obey God, there is always a catch, the catch being a form of self-aggrandizement.
Matthew 6:1-6
“1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
2 “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.
3 But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4 so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
5 “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.
6 But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
To every believer, if we seek the Lord with all our heart, He will hear our prayers, instruct us in our actions and we will feel driven to obey, but never driven to make sure others know. Our joy comes from the Lord, obedience to Him and His working in the lives of those we serve.
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