You cannot grow in Christlikeness without plumbing the depths of your inner self as revealed through the Word of God. And most people have a very tough time just sitting with themselves.

It seems to me that there are two kinds of self-focus. One positive, the other negative.

On the negative side, there is selfish self-focus. This is what we see rampant in our society of seeking to always please self. Seeking out pleasure at the cost of a life of depth. And also seeking to insulate one’s self from pain, also at great expense. For when we insulate from pain, we insulate from love. We embrace our modern day idol of comfort and convenience. Anything pushing us out of our comfort zone is avoided with great energy. Our goal is to always be comfortable, pleased, and pain-free.

Then there is a positive self-focus which is, paradoxically, a selfless self-focus. This is the bettering of one’s self through healthy self examination, sitting with yourself, looking into the mirror of God’s word and letting Him penetrate your heart to reveal what is not of Him as well as what is, and to respond accordingly. Some things we will need to nurture and cultivate. Some we will need to crucify.

In this kind of self-focus, we are becoming a greater light to the world, more in tune with our true self, and therefore, a more effective human being as an instrument of God’s love and healing.

In the Name of Jesus,
Soli Deo Gloria