Self Discovery

I am not a fan of "self discovery" in the traditional sense I guess. It rubs me the wrong way. It seems so self indulgent and vain really. This is not to say that I am not either of those things or haven't been guilty of taking any of those quizzes on Facebook that promise to tell you which Jane Austen heroine you are or where you should live. I admit they are enticing because we love to "talk" and "learn" about ourselves. By the way I am not the naive main character from "Northanger Abbey," nor am I meant to live in Seattle. Really, I do not always think the best of people and I am not "tired of the scorching sun and heat" of Portland! But what I have noticed in reading other people's results is that theirs aren't usually right for them either. People "publish" their results so we can all read how "artsy" or "down to earth" they are, but really all I'm reading is how "intellectual" or "stylish" someone thinks they are! Self discovery or self disillusion?

Here's what I'm getting at. In twenty-something years of learning about myself here's what I've discovered: I'm selfish, not easily satisfied, always right, a bad friend, undisciplined, unmotivated, and a gossip with depressional tendencies to say the least. I could go on, but this list is painful enough as it is. The more we seek to be the most or get the most out of life, the more dissatisfied we seem to be. The more we expect out of ourselves or out of other people, the more disappointed we usually end up being. I believe this is because we are flawed, fickle and insatiable, people.

This is why the Bible says things like, "For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus." (Phil. 2:21) As well as, "He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it." (Matt. 10:39) Paul gives up his previous, hard earned, "successful" life as a "Pharisee among Pharisees" to follow Christ.

There's a lot of wheel spinning out there. Not that we shouldn't spin our wheels, but maybe we should spin them in a different direction. I came across the most beautiful passage today in Colossians that really sums up my thoughts on "self discovery" and all the energy we spend on it and specifically the direction we spend it in. I think if we want to do true, beneficial, edifying self discovery, perhaps we need to look somewhere other than inward because frankly, I've found there's just not a lot there worth hanging on to.

"He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. He is the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist." (Colossians 1:13-17)

Some good spiritual food for thought in case you're thinking of doing some introspective soul searching or for the next time you want to dig deep into your origins. We were created for Him, through Him and we consist in Him only.

The Way of the Lord

In reading Proverbs ten today, I was struck by verse twenty-nine, "The way of the Lord is strength for the upright, but destruction will come to the workers of iniquity." I was comforted specifically by the first part and I felt refreshed in a way as only the Word of God can refresh. It was almost like reading those words made them true for me. Then I wondered, if I hadn't read them would they still be true for me? More specifically, are His promises still true for me even if I rarely read them or perhaps don't ever hear or read of them or are mindful of them (I'm talking about specific promises-the ones "we Christians" like to name and claim)?

Here's how my thought pattern went from there. I am strengthened by reading my Bible. Reading God's promises for the righteous encourages me and strengthens my heart. How can I be sure that I am part of that group called "the righteous" or "the upright"? It's not done flippantly, especially with verses like Romans 3:10 out there, which says "There is none righteous, no not one." Isaiah tells us that our best righteousness is like filthy rags before the Lord.
John 15:3 "You are already clean because of the Word which I have spoken to you." Ah, yes. The (capital) Word being none other than Jesus Christ, has a cleansing affect in our hearts, our minds, our lives. "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." Romans 10:17 So I need to read the Word of God. He is who makes me clean. And if you're still not sure about that, read your Bible. You will be convinced and cleansed in the process. It's a real win-win.

When I take the time to read, I glean so much that I am overwhelmed and perhaps I've only read but a few pages. I feel I should have to read that same section everyday for a month before I can really "get it" and begin to move on. At this rate how can I retain all the truths that the Bible would speak into my life? And as the Lord would have it, this verse came to mind. "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." (Italics mine.) So I am not to worry about reviewing everything I've learned up until this point every time I open my Bible to read or seek something new. The Spirit has me covered, but He can only bring to remembrance the things that the Lord has said to me, aka, that I've allowed Him to say to me, that I've heard from Him, that I've read of Him.

So, getting back to my original question. I conclude that the more I read the Word, the more I am in "the way of the Lord" and the more "upright" I am. Reading, meditating, studying the Word is "the way of the Lord" (we know this from Joshua 1:8) and it "is strength for the upright." Another win-win, if you will.

Proverbs 10:17 "He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, (gasp) but he who refuses reproof goes astray." (Italics, bolds and added gasp, mine.)
Notice the words in bold both in the verse above and below.
2 Timothy 3:16 "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,".

So, how can we be in the way of the Lord and not be upright? And how can we be upright and not be in the way of the Lord? How can we apply God's promises to us when we don't read them, hear them, know them. I don't think we can.