4. To experience the abundance of life Jesus promised, I must work to know my real self.

(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.)

WOULD YOU SAY THAT YOU ARE EXPERIENCING ABUNDANCE IN YOUR LIFE TODAY?

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE ABUNDACE THAT JESUS PROMISES?

IF YOUR REAL SELF IS A “LESS THAN PERFECT” REFLECTION OF YOUR TRUE SELF, HOW DO YOU THINK A KNOWLEDGE OF YOUR REAL SELF MIGHT BRING ABUNDANCE?

Our real self is the person we really are, with all the flaws and defects, and without any pretense. It is not our true self, the person we were created to be and the person we can become with God’s help. It is not hard to understand how our true self could bring abundance to us but how could our real self, our imperfect self, bring abundance?

Our real, imperfect, self is limited in its ability to deliver abundance into our lives but the knowledge of our real self, our self-awareness, is the starting point for abundance. Without knowledge of our real self, our flawed and imperfect self, it is unlikely that we will make progress toward our true self. For example, if we struggle with a tendency to be critical and judgmental of others and yet are not aware of this, it is unlikely that we will take measures to change. Any change we experience typically begins with an awareness of our problem.

There may be many steps and much work once we are aware, but the awareness and acknowledgement of our problem is the starting point. There is a partial abundance that we can experience even with just the knowledge of our real self. The act of seeing and acknowledging our brokenness has an effect that brings a level of harmony and truth to our real self and brings harmony in our relationship with God.

The act of admitting to ourselves and to God the nature of our brokenness is transformative. This is essentially the discipline of confession, and with confession comes forgiveness and freedom from guilt and shame. This freedom is an immediate experience of abundance that anticipates even more as we work to be healed of our disease.