Your True Self

(Prov 21:2) Every way of a man seems right to himself, but the Lord is the tester of hearts.

This morning we continue in the book of Proverbs. Here Solomon teaches us two things:
1) That every one of us should routinely talk self-inventory, and
2) That even when we do perform self-examination it can be deceitful because we sometimes subconsciously convince ourselves that we are right, even when we are dead-wrong.

Even though it is sometimes difficult to acknowledge the error of our ways, we must try lest be become the fool Solomon spoke of back in chapter 12 when he said, "The way of a fool seems right to him" (v.15). So what's the answer? What can we do to make sure we are truly on the right path? Ask God! God will tell us when we are truly right and when we are truly wrong. We may be able to fool ourselves, but we will never be able to fool Him!

This verse reminds me 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; which is actually what Solomon is teaching about today.

And lastly, the fourth 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 both you and others will discover things about you that you never knew before. But guess what? God knew. God knows everything you will ever do and He planned out your life accordingly. So spending time with God is definitely time well spent. He can prepare you for your future in ways that you would have never prepared yourself. So be honest with God, expose your flaws to Him (it's not like He doesn't already see them), and ask Him to make the necessary course corrections you need to stay on His desired path for your life.

The issue of correction is really the main issue of this text. This was a problem back in Solomon's time, but I believe it is even more of a problem today. When is the last time you attempted to correct someone? This is often a difficult task today because our society promotes the idea that everyone has the "right" to walk their own walk and to live their own lives their own way. Today the 'everything goes' mentality is prevalent within our society, to the point where it many don't see the need for correction. Why would you need correction if anything and everything is right? 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).

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, then seek to be right with God. Ask Him to expose to you your inner faults and flaws. When God does, ask Him to help you to make the corrections you need to make in order to become the person He desires for you to be. There is an overwhelming peace that overtakes you when know that you are right with God. 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 my true self to me, so that I can make change for the better. 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!