Take a Look at Yourself

We must take a deep look at ourselves. When we contemplate our own hearts in the context of prayer and Scripture we will see ourselves lacking and  immediately look to God for his infinite benefits. When we look specifically at our sin and misery and rebellion, we are compelled to look upward for forgiveness, mercy and hope. His greatness produces great humility in us.
But we don’t aspire to want God and know God until we become displeased with ourselves. Are you pleased with yourself? Those pleased with themselves don’t want to know god.

Calvin comments, “For what man in all the world would not gladly remain as he is–what man does not remain as he is–so long as he does not know himself, that is, while content with his own gifts and either ignorant or unmindful of his own misery? Accordingly, the knowledge of ourselves not only arouses us to seek God, but also, as it were, leads us by the hand to find Him.”

We must spend our time looking at God then looking at self then looking at God again then looking at self. Looking only at God leads to external religion and a false sense of self, living the lie of a pretend self that never exposes the reality of our inner self to God and others. Looking only at Self leads to neurosis and self-fixation. We want/need personal, experiential knowledge of God and self. The real knowledge that transforms.