Self-Awareness

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us                         I John 1:8

I recently had a discussion with a client about taking an honest inventory of our broken areas. Such self-awareness exercises are healthy and important aspects of not only maintaining good mental health, but of accepting our personhood.

We cannot hide from ourselves. If we try, it always comes out badly in the end. Being honest with God and ourselves about our resentments, our hurts, our disappointments etc. is a healthy exercise.

The paradoxical result is that we, having come to some better understanding of our broken areas, feel better about ourselves. We can be honest with ourselves. We can recognize some resentments that have become grievance narratives that we tell ourselves that have become the basis for negative images of our situation.   

Sometimes, we have grievances toward God that we do not want to admit or acknowledge. But let’s face it- God already knows our heart, so why not admit those disappointments? Phillip Yancey wrote a book many years ago entitled Disappointed With God. In that book, he simply acknowledges that as human beings, we have a mind and will that have expectations of God that will simply not happen the way we want.

So, my friends, the truth sets us free. Let us have a look at ourselves, and take that inventory that sets us free.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for making us beings that can question ourselves, Amen