Enjoy Life, Enjoy God

KNOW THYSELF

November 29, 2010

There is an ancient Greek proverb, "Know thyself," it's inscribed on the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. But so what?

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?  Jeremiah 17:9 TNIV

In all of our lifetimes, we have been blessed by the insights of the soft science of Psychology. That's helpful for our well-being, yet sometimes seemingly contradicting to a biblical view of the self. Psychology is concerned with matters of a healthy self-esteem and wants to free us from guilt-shame talk of previous ages. Yet, I read the old prayers of the Puritans,
"I am not yet weaned from all created glory, honour, wisdom, and esteem of others, for I have a secret motive to eye my name in all I do."

Let me not only speak the word sin, but see the thing itself. Give me a view of discovered sinfulness, to know that though my sins are crucified they are never wholly mortified. Hatred, malice, ill-will, vain-glory that hungers for and hunts after man's approval and applause - all are crucified, forgiven, but they rise again in my sinful heart. (Valley of Vision)

No matter what the psychologist tells me, that's me and you, too. If we are to "Know thyself," we should read the insights of the psychological community through the lens of biblical reality. Blessing is born not by ignoring truth, but trusting it.

Joyfully,

Dale Patterson