This is the third message in the Skillful Living Series. Today’s message is becoming self-aware of the person you are.
Do you tell yourself about yourself as much as you try to tell others about themselves? Do you care about what you need to improve about yourself as much as you care that others change themselves? Do you reflect on your own behaviors as much as you reflect on the behaviors of others? Do you accept what others have to say about you as much as you want others to accept what you think of them?
Learning to live life skillfully starts when you learn to accurately see who you are and what your life means to the lives around you. Becoming self-aware introduces you to the person who will control your life for your life. It means we learn to live by what others actually see of us more than by what we want others to see of us.
In Roman 7, Paul explains what goes on inside each of us as we struggle to live our lives. It is our lack of awareness about what is within each of us that keeps us from doing the good we desire to do. There is a fight between what we want ourselves to be and our awareness of who we really are
We are surprised when we do not do what we do not want to do. We find ourselves doing the very things we hate to do. Why is this so? Why does this happen to us? Well, it is because we lack awareness of ourselves and what goes on within us.
Scripture tells us about self-awareness. Romans 7:18-19 says, “For I know that in me (that is in my flesh) nothing good dwells: for to want to do good is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I want to do, I do not do it, but the evil I want not to do, that is what I practice.”
Being self-aware helps you learn to interpret your actions, feelings and thoughts objectively so you learn to live the life you should live rather than allowing what you don’t want to be to have control of your life.
Living skillfully helps you learn to know who is in control of your life. Many of us think someone or something other than ourselves are in control of our lives. But this is not the case. Becoming self-aware makes you become mindful of who it is inside you that is in control of you. Become more aware of who you are.
Self-awareness helps you live with compassion. Reflect on what you learn about yourself and what your life means to others. Compassion and reflection are skillful living behaviors that make you better around others.
Becoming more self-aware helps you learn to live from the insights you gain about yourself so that you can change your thoughts, actions and behaviors before others ask you to change. Insightfulness helps you to live skillfully with yourself, so you live more successfully with others.
Becoming more self-aware helps you learn to depend more on the Lord for your life. It helps you learn that things do not have to go your way for you to have your way. It means things are going to be okay even when you don’t get your way. It means you learn the greatest battle you will ever fight is the one you fight for who will control your life.
Living skillfully is made easier when you are more aware of who you are and when you see the implications of the things you do. When you are more aware of yourself, you will become more aware of the needs of others. When you are more aware of yourself, you will learn to become more aware of the greatness of the Lord.
Live a Delivered Life. Love you.
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