The Symptoms of Vanity (and the Surprising Cure)

I was trying to think of something clever like an intro I was going to reference this oldtime song from back in the 1970s which would be roughly 50 plus years ago right um called You're So Vain I think by Carly Simon is that who saying You're So Vain hi my name is father Mike Schmitz and this is Essen presents the topic of vanity let's go vanity is what what is Vanity not well first of all vanity is not uh the little Chester drawers with a mirror on it that actually is a vanity right but that's not the vanity we're talking about also secondly Van Vanity or being vain isn't just thinking the song about you that can be right the person who walks by the mirror and always checks himself out that could be a sign of vanity too but actual Vanity Vanity is the inordinate preoccupation with what other people think say that again because this is very important the inordinate preoccupation with what other people think and so if that's the definition definition of vanity a a shy person could be vain like if a a boastful person could be vain um any person could be vain why because vanity doesn't mean thinking highly of yourself vanity is the inordinate preoccupation with what other people think how many of us are driven by that let's let's clarify something there are some people who think well if that's if vanity is the preoccupation inordinate preoccupation with what other people think then I just don't care what people think like that's actually that's not good if you we're at the place where you're like no I'm the kind of person I don't care what anyone thinks that's not very charitable I talked to a psychologist about this I said is that is that a psychosis he said it could be there's some degree to which we should be mindful of what other people think why because it's just called caring so there you go um the solution to vanity is not not caring what other people think the problem with vanity is the inordinate preoccupation with what other people think if I'm inordinately preoccupied with what other people think there are times when I will do something to try to manage their impression of me there's times I might not do something that I should be doing because I want to control how they think of me if I'm constantly walking through life and constant L trying to do this impression management right or this this image management kind of dance around people there are times when I will not say the truth that should be said because I care what other people I care what other people think too much or there are times when I won't do the right thing the courageous thing that needs to be done because I care too much what other people think or there are times when I will say something that I don't actually believe is true because I care too much with what other people think sometimes social media is is a is a place where vanities get on display life is a place where vanity gets on display but you look back on maybe some of our social media posts and think like wait I only said that because I was I felt pressured to say that I only stood up for this thing not because I actually believe it's true or believe it's right or good but because everyone was saying that and I I didn't want to get canceled I didn't want to get shut out I want to get I didn't want to get left out I I said it not because I believed it I said it to fit in I said it I said it to blend in I said it why because I had the inordinate preoccupation with what other people think I can't imagine how many times in my life when I did not stand up for the Lord when I didn't bear witness to Jesus Christ and all that he's done because in that moment I was more I I cared more about what someone else thought than about the truth of this moment I I cared more about what someone thought of me rather than oh this might this word might actually help this person you know one of the solutions for vanity right the inordinate preoccupation with what other people think is not just having more courage although sometimes that is the case having have more boldness be willing to say it's that's that could be the case I think more often though the actual deep down cure for vanity is knowing your identity what I mean by that is you know if you and I know that at the core the most important thing about you and I is that we have been adopted by God the father as his beloved sons and daughters in baptism if you if you and I know that that's our our deepest identity then what other people think yeah it still matters but it doesn't control us if if you and I know that at the end of the day beginning of the day middle of the day throughout life what matters most is not what other people think what matters the most is who Jesus says you are if we know that then then there's nothing to fear there's no no image someone might have of us that we can fear no opinion someone else can have for us that we would fear nothing actually even anyone could say about us that we would fear why because we know who you are you know who you are you're a beloved Son or a beloved daughter of the father because of that there's no room for vanity yeah of course we care what other people think that's a good thing but we don't have the inordinate preoccupation with what other people think that will keep us from saying what needs to be said from doing what needs to be done or can lead us to do what we know ought not to be done or to say things that we know are not true so vanity gets killed when you discover your true identity your true identity is given to you by the father who loves you in Jesus Christ in the power of His Holy Spirit you are a beloved Son a beloved daughter and for all of us here presents my name is father Mike God bless got bright out here like bright really bright it's like Shining it's shining off of ice in the now I can't see anything cuz I just look directly at the sun okay see you ridiculous SP Mike schmidtz and this is ENT goly Jeeper Creepers okay

Channel: Ascension Presents

Views: 63,497

Keywords: ascension, ascension press, ascension presents, fr. Mike, father mike, catholic advice, catholic inspiration, catholic motivation, fr. mike schmitz, fr. Mike schmidt, father mike schmitz, michael schmitz, fr. Mike advice, fr. Mike videos, vanity, vain, what is vanity, definition of vanity, vice of vanity, care what people think, what people think about me

Id: AxESUHSsliM

Length: 5min 42sec (342 seconds)

Published: Wed Feb 14 2024