Proverbs 19:8
8 He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good.
Understanding Ourselves
Our world likes to teach us that we must dig down deep inside of ourselves to find the truth of ourselves. They tell us it will help us find peace and freedom.
I tend to agree.
… just not for the reasons they claim.
Their claim is that we will find the good inside of us, the things that will bring us happiness, joy, and peace as we discover our true selves.
That is where I disagree.
While we may have good inside of us (God did create us, after all), if we dig down deep we find even more that we are not so good.
We are selfish, dishonest, angry, blasphemous individuals.
Being Honest with Ourselves
If we could be honest with ourselves, we would understand that there is no way we could find good in and of ourselves.
The only way to find good in ourselves is to get wisdom.
As has been said many times during our adventures through Proverbs (one time that comes immediately to mind is my commentary on Proverbs 3:18), Jesus is the Wisdom of God. Jesus is the only good we can find in ourselves when we believe in Him.
Getting a hold of Jesus, putting our faith in the truth of His life, death, and resurrection, shows that I love my soul.
Do you love your soul?
Wise Lord, reveal Your wisdom to us. Create in us a desire to seek You through bringing us all to understanding ourselves. Help us to live within that understanding and wisdom.
May 10th, 2013 at 8:18 am
Journaling is a great way to be honest “before God”. it is amazing how, through pouring out how we feel in honesty, that the Holy Spirit responds and begins to teach us through the thoughts He gives. Suddenly we find that in our journaling He has given us the answer of how to change, but highlighting scriptures and insights into those scriptures. And when we have put our pens down, we stand back amazed at how He has shared His wisdom with us.
May 10th, 2013 at 8:31 pm
I have not been too big on journaling in my journey, but I whole-heartedly agree with you. My outlet has been poetry, and I still go back and read some of those poems thinking “Whoa! That is amazing!”
Thanks for the great advice!