Your True Self

Your True Self

(Prov 16:2 NIV) All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD.

This morning we continue our current series, In this verse Solomon tells us something that we should all be reminded of from time to time and that is that we are NOT always right. We are all apt to be partial in judging of ourselves and it is often hard for us to acknowledge the error of our ways.

Have you ever attempted to show someone where he or she was wrong or in what ways he or she needed to make a course correction? You probably just cringed at the thought of it. We live in a time where corrections seldom occur because people are so indisposed to being corrected that they often overreact when a correction is made. Not to mention the fact that our society promotes the idea that everyone can walk their own walk, their own way, living their own lives, and that everything is seemingly OK. When you add all of this to the fact that we are always partial in judging ourselves, you can see how, if we are not careful, we can raise up an entire generation of people who will always see themselves as right, innocent, and righteous (albeit self-righteous).

As I thought about this text I thought of the Johari window. The Johari window is a cognitive psychological tool created by Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham in 1955. It’s basically a tool used to help people better understand themselves. Imagine a window with four panes.

The first pane is called “the arena.” This is the part of you that is known to both you and others. This is where you are most comfortable. You don’t feel like you need to hide anything about this part of your life.

However, the second pane is called “the façade.” This is the part of you that you know about, but that you fail to expose to others. You put up a façade in hopes that others will not be able to see what you think is the ‘real you.’

The third pane is called “the blind spot.” This is the part of you that is known to others, but is blind to you. We are often blind to our own faults and what may be obvious to others can be painfully incomprehensible to us.

The last pane is called, “the unknown.” This is the part of you that is both blind to others and yourself. There are parts of you that are still undiscovered. As you journey through life and evolve/develop both you and others will discover things about you that you never knew before.

This takes us back to our text. Since there are parts of you that you don’t see (but others see) and parts of you that you don’t even know about yet, wouldn’t it stand to reason that the only person that you truly knows you (inside and out) is God? In the 19th psalm Solomon’s father David acknowledged the fact that we have erroneous ways that often fail to acknowledge or even see, saying:

“Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults” (v.12).

So what does this mean to you ? It means that God looks at your heart. He sees your inner motives. He looks past your façade and even past your limited understanding. If you truly want to be right, seek to be right with God. Ask Him to expose to you your inner faults and the error of your ways. When God does, ask Him to help you to make the corrections you need to make in order to become the person that He desires for you to be. There is an overwhelming peace that overtakes you when know that you are right with God. That peace will help you be at peace with yourself and with others.

Seek that peace today.

Father, You know me, inside and out. You know the error of my ways. You know my deep motives. You know things about me that I don’t even know about myself. I ask You to reveal all the things to me that I need to correct. I want to be the very best person that I can be, for You and for others. Lead me, guide me, direct me, and expose me to my true self. I want to be naked, open, and unashamed before You. I want the peace that comes from knowing that I am right with You and right with others. In Jesus’ name. Amen!