To know oneself, God first must we seek
The Light of Christ revealed to the meek
To search one's heart and know our need
Brings understanding and a blessing indeed
Discovering God's heart instead of our own
Then only for Him will we desire and groan
How often are we encouraged to discover ourselves and our own heart and that to be successful and find our path we first must know who we are? I admit that it can be beneficial in understanding our past so we can understand some things about ourselves and why we have arrived where we are at. Many people have been successful in changing things about themselves. Of course it is possible to change but it doesn't bring the deep truths and understanding that we need that can only come from looking outside of ourselves and looking to the one who allowed for our existence. God has given us everything that we need to know of Him and about Him. Not only that but to know Him personally. He offers us a deep and personal relationship with Him and I believe this is the longing of every soul. We have an opportunity to know Him and be known by Him. David said to God, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting".
We can trust God to tell us the truth in love because He only wants the best for us and that best is Christ in us, more of him and less of us. He's not looking to condemn us but to restore us always back to godliness. Sometimes we learn through other people. There have been many times that I have learned through the actions of others. It can be times where I say, "Wow, I want to be more like that" because it lines up with godly character or it can be, "Lord, I don't want to be like that", because it doesn't line up with godly character and that may have been something I was struggling with!
A fool is not someone who has low intelligence, but someone who rejects God, ignores His wisdom and wants no correction. It's also someone who knows that something may be true but rejects the truth and refuses to look at the evidence. Do we want to know our own heart through our own filter or do we want God to show us by His Holy Spirit, filtered through His word? We have the assurance, that according to HIs character, He is a faithful God and the work He began in us, it is He who will carry it through to completion, if we keep ourselves open to it. That is the kind of God I see in the scriptures and it's the kind of God I want searching my heart. Rather than spend endless hours figuring myself out, I want to put that effort into knowing more of God, through Jesus because the more I learn about myself, the less I like and His way is always the best way!
A fool has no delight in understanding but that his heart may discover itself.
Prov. 18:2