“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23–24, ESV)
Yesterday, I spoke to four resolutions I have for the New Year. The first was to be more present in the moment. The second is to be more present with myself.
This is about being reflective in regards to not only our gifts but also our short-comings. It is to wrestle with the things we would not like to wrestle. Growth comes at the cost of our comfort. And to make forward progress means to grapple with some unpleasant realities about ourselves.
We can easily see the faults in others. It is more difficult to recognize our own short-comings. We have blinders. Sometimes the blinders are intentional. And other times they are not. There are sins known and unknown.
Seeing our short-comings takes being honest with ourselves. It takes asking God to reveal areas of our lives that are out of alignment. It takes asking others to be honest with their feedback. It is to hear the painful things you don’t want to hear. This is why most people never address their areas of growth and fail to walk in greater abundance. It takes courage!
When things don’t go as planned, it is easy to blame circumstances and other people. We play the role of a victim and ignore our part in the situation. This is the easy way out, but it will not change our circumstances. It will only leave us miserable.
Maybe you have an area of growth in the way you handle your finances. Maybe you are emotionally volatile and need to learn to control those emotions. Maybe you have poor conflict resolution skills that lead to relationship challenges. Maybe you have a hidden sin that festers in the darkness and holds you back. Maybe you are a poor steward of your time. Maybe your pride gets in the way of you being teachable. Maybe you are so self-absorbed that you fail to have any compassion.
Are you willing to have these things revealed? More importantly, are you ready to address these areas of your life and take action to address them? How will you grow in self-awareness?
Reflection
- What is the God showing you in regards to your “grievous way?”
- What is your next step to address your flaws?
Prayer
Lord, open the eyes of my heart. Help me to see what lies in the darkness. Bring to light my sin, my fault, and my short-comings. Break the chains of bondage that I have ignored and denied. Give me the courage to address what makes me uncomfortable. Amen.
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