10. My awareness of my own character diseases and my desire for healing will affect how Scripture speaks to me.
(Before looking at the questions below, take a few minutes to think about this statement. Invite Jesus to speak to you about what He would like you to notice.)
Could you list several things about your character or personality that you wish were different?
How do you think your attitude about your flaws shapes how you hear someone’s advice about that?
David, in Psalm 139, says, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting (23-24, NIV). How would you describe David’s attitude about his own “offensive ways”?
The Bible can be a mirror that helps us see ourselves better. It can help us notice the areas of our lives that fail to conform to the kind of persons that God invites us to become. The reverse of this is also true. The awareness of our failures and flaws combined with our desire to be transformed can serve to create a posture or attitude that can significantly affect how the Bible speaks to our situation.
There is an interdependent dynamic; the Bible helps us see ourselves better and as we have a clearer picture of our lives, we understand the Bible better. This posture of self-awareness is captured by a word used by classic saints, “compunction.” In its literal sense, compunction describes a state of deep regret over something we have done. The desert fathers understood compunction also to include a sense of grace, forgiveness, and hopefulness.
Compunction was a posture of remorse but always combined with an awareness of forgiveness that compelled one to desire transformation. Saint Romuald, a ninth century monk, is reported to have said, “Better to pray one psalm with devotion and compunction than a hundred with distraction.” (https://rcdow.org.uk/news/saint-of-the-month-st-romuald/.)
An example of reading Scripture with compunction might happen during times when we are experiencing discomfort or suffering. No one enjoys suffering and we typically work hard to avoid or fix our suffering, or else we just complain about it. But when we read James 1;Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance, (2-3, NIV) with an attitude of compunction, we can replace our avoidance, striving, or complaining with a spirit of joy and hopefulness. Here’s
another example: First John 1 says, If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (8-9, NIV). Now sin is not a popular word these days and we are inclined to avoid thinking of ourselves as sinful, but if we read this passage with an attitude of compunction, we will admit our brokenness and seek the healing of forgiveness that is presented in the passage.
Without compunction, we may tend to deny or avoid our sin and miss the opportunity for healing. Our awareness of our soul diseases and our willingness to confront them can be significant in assisting us in our reading and understanding of Scripture.