Catechism: Seeking Self-AwarenessSample

We’ve all known people who make everything about them.

They view every bump in the road as targeting them and any shift in attention away from them as a reason for concern.

That’s not the kind of self-awareness we’re talking about today.

A healthy, mature, and biblical view of self is based on an identity founded on Christ.

When you know how God views you, you value the input of those you trust and admire, but you are not desperately seeking their approval.

When you understand God’s mercy and forgiveness, your tendency towards shame and self-recrimination fades because you trust God sees you as clean and righteous.

When you fully trust that God is for you, you have the confidence to extend yourself to others rather than continually assessing every situation, asking, "What is in this for me?"

Think of how Jesus reacted to his closest friends, his enemies, and even those who wanted to push him into the mold of who they thought the Messiah should be.

In every interaction, you glimpse such confidence in who he is and who he knows the Father to be.

The tools Jesus used to maintain his connection with God are the same tools you can use today—prayer and the truth of God’s Word. Christ was comforted and strengthened through the time he spent with God.

When there are so many inner and outer forces pulling at your image, actions, and even your physical reactions, choosing to reflect Jesus’s attitude can place your identity squarely in the hands of God rather than in the hands of those around you or your circumstances.

• What is one attribute of having the mind and attitude of Jesus that you need to apply today? What verses can equip you to reflect Jesus’s character in this situation or relationship?


• How will being confident of God's love allow you to critically examine and acknowledge the areas where you need to grow?