I like to collect things which make me feel good. I have air conditioning because Texas has humid springs and very hot summers. I have 6 guitars, only one of which I can play at a time. I enjoy DVDs and CDs, because the convenience of having the videos and recordings at hand means I can enjoy these sensual sources whenever I want.

I counted the number of Bibles in our house and it went beyond one per person. God has allowed us to buy several things which go beyond need to convenience. Compared with 90% of the world, I live in royal splendor. I'm so comfortable that should the traffic back up on any of the highways I take driving to work, my first feeling, my first reaction is to feel inconvenienced I won't get to work when I would like.

I am a selfish person. I like my cologne and stick deodorant. That soft mattress cuddles me in bed. The guitar allows me to play music which I've practiced over the years. The car I drive to work keeps me comfortable. God allows me to have things I enjoy. And I buy them because I like how each makes me feel.

Every single person on the planet has a certain degree of narcissism. Jonah had it pretty bad when he complained to God from beneath the shelter of a bush that God had indeed saved Ninevah and Jonah was justified in wishing death on himself! An odd kind of self love, but Jonah was that mad! He'd tried already to escape God by going the other direction to run away, but God had a very smelly fish ready to hold Jonah for three nights in its belly before Jonah would give up running!

It's not the things we have which make us narcissistic. It's the placing of our desires before God which make us idolatrous. God wants each of us to empathize and love our neighbors as ourselves as He loves each of us and blesses us with things. But we can't be in His will as long as we put things first. We can't experience God's love until we fear and reverence Him above all else.