In April I took my first selfie (don’t worry—you won’t find it on my Facebook page). For those of you who may not know, a selfie is a photograph one takes of oneself alone or with friends. It’s usually taken with a cell phone.

For the past several years selfies have become extremely popular, especially among youth and young adults. Many people take them and e-mail them to their friends or post them to their Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter pages. Some people take a selfie nearly every day.

Recently I read of some celebrities who take selfies when they wake up in the morning. Then they’ll tweet (send) it to all of their fans to let the public know that they are ordinary people, doing the same things as everyone else.

I suppose that selfies have become popular because by simply pushing a button you can produce documented affirmation of your existence. When you post the image to the Internet, you’re telling the world, “This is who, or where, I am today.”

It’s only natural to desire affirmation, and it’s good to have healthy self-esteem. Each one of us has an inborn interest in ourselves, our jobs, our families, our future. Over the past few years I’ve discovered that the best way to start up relationships with others is simply to ask them about themselves—their pursuits, their goals, their desires. Most people gladly talk about themselves.

Perhaps that’s why the Bible needs to encourage Christians not to focus on themselves, but to focus on others. The apostle Paul tells us to value others above ourselves (Phil. 2:3), and to speak only things that build others up (Eph. 4:29). Peter explains that we should use our gifts to serve others (1 Peter 4:10).

As we show an interest in others, we gain their favor and meet their needs; their hearts will more likely be open to accept God’s truth.