Self Awareness

By Robert & Cyndi

“All men’s miseries derive from not being able to sit in a quiet room alone”–Blaise Pascal

Most of us are not in touch with our feelings. Think about it. When traffic is horrendous, the line at the bank is slow and long, or our kids forget to do their chores, do we ever stop to think about how we are feeling right then and why? Sometimes we are quick to blame things on the devil or engage in spiritual warfare, grabbing for our swords to fight rather than sitting in a chair to contemplate.

Richard Foster, in The Celebration of Discipline says, “The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people.” Jesus felt very deeply about things, as did King David, who so well expressed this in his psalms. If we are to be emotionally healthy disciples, expressed images of the living God, then we need to learn to be reflective, looking deep into our hearts and souls.

In The Emotionally Healthy Church, Peter Scazzero states this well:
“It takes courage to ask myself what I am really feeling in a situation. Especially when it is what we usually label a negative emotion such as anger, shame, bitterness, hate, grief, jealousy, fear, or depression. Many would try to deny these rather than listen to their God-given emotions. This involves taking my feelings and thoughts about why I am feeling this way and bringing them honestly to God.”

Honesty before God requires a vulnerability that many of us are not willing to experience–it is much easier to live in surfacy religious jargon. When Ps.46:10 tells us to “be still and know” that He is God, this is a withdrawing, a sinking down, a quieting of ourselves to listen and firmly feel what is going on. It is a position of intimacy. It is a place where deep can call to deep, but it is a choice. Are we willing to open up, be honest with ourselves, and choose it?