Today we're going to start off with a brief reflection. What would you say you are best known for among your friends, family, and acquaintances? Why are you known for those particular things? And then, let's take it a step deeper. Are those the things that you want to be known for? Do you find that the things you want others to see in you are different from what they actually see in you?
Next, after you've done this introspection, let's expand it a bit. Go and ask a few of your family, friends, or acquaintances what they see you as being known for. Be ready to be surprised, perhaps, and maybe even a little bit humbled. You might discover that they don't see you as the great person that you might think you are in your own mind. You might even find that they pick up on things that you don't even realize about yourself.
A little exercise like this helps us to see those things about us that we have a tough time picking up on our own. In some respects, others know us better than we know ourselves. We may have habits or tendencies that we don't even notice about ourselves, but are readily apparent to others. Those may even become part of our character in the eyes of others. And sometimes, those are not things that we may necessarily want others to know us for.
I've had several times where I have asked others these same things, and it seems that every time, there is at least one new thing I learn about myself. It could be some habit that I engage in that I'm not even aware of, or some aspect of how I carry myself around others. The point here, though, is that I learn to know more about myself as I do this. I grow in knowing who I am.
Now, you might ask, what's the importance of that? I would suggest that knowing yourself is important because it helps you to better understand your place and role in God's kingdom. The more you know who you are, the better you know the gifts, talents, and abilities that God has created within you. As a person who has been made holy through the sacrifice of Jesus, you now have the opportunity to discover those places where you serve God well as one of His redeemed, loved, forgiven people. And I would suggest that, the more you know yourself, the better equipped you are for that service.
Is that necessary? Not really. However, I suggest doing this, not for your own good, but as one who truly does seek to do as God says and "love your neighbor as yourself." When asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus actually presented two. Love God with your whole being, and love your neighbor as yourself. In that way, it sure seems that loving God also means loving your neighbor, a task which you are better able to do when you know who you are.
Next, after you've done this introspection, let's expand it a bit. Go and ask a few of your family, friends, or acquaintances what they see you as being known for. Be ready to be surprised, perhaps, and maybe even a little bit humbled. You might discover that they don't see you as the great person that you might think you are in your own mind. You might even find that they pick up on things that you don't even realize about yourself.
A little exercise like this helps us to see those things about us that we have a tough time picking up on our own. In some respects, others know us better than we know ourselves. We may have habits or tendencies that we don't even notice about ourselves, but are readily apparent to others. Those may even become part of our character in the eyes of others. And sometimes, those are not things that we may necessarily want others to know us for.
I've had several times where I have asked others these same things, and it seems that every time, there is at least one new thing I learn about myself. It could be some habit that I engage in that I'm not even aware of, or some aspect of how I carry myself around others. The point here, though, is that I learn to know more about myself as I do this. I grow in knowing who I am.
Now, you might ask, what's the importance of that? I would suggest that knowing yourself is important because it helps you to better understand your place and role in God's kingdom. The more you know who you are, the better you know the gifts, talents, and abilities that God has created within you. As a person who has been made holy through the sacrifice of Jesus, you now have the opportunity to discover those places where you serve God well as one of His redeemed, loved, forgiven people. And I would suggest that, the more you know yourself, the better equipped you are for that service.
Is that necessary? Not really. However, I suggest doing this, not for your own good, but as one who truly does seek to do as God says and "love your neighbor as yourself." When asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus actually presented two. Love God with your whole being, and love your neighbor as yourself. In that way, it sure seems that loving God also means loving your neighbor, a task which you are better able to do when you know who you are.
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