7. A safe and loving spiritual community is vital for me to grow in self-awareness.

(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.)

ARE THERE PLACES IN YOUR LIFE WHERE YOU FEEL COMPLETELY SAFE AND FREE TO BE YOURSELF?

IF SO, WHAT DO YOU NOTICE ABOUT THESE SPACES?

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES? HAVE YOU FOUND FREEDOM AND SAFETY IN THEM?

Self-awareness, the process of coming to know and understand our real self, the self we would rather not see, requires feedback. Like a mirror that helps us see our physical appearance, we need ways of seeing our inner self, thoughts, and way of being with others. It is the people in our lives who provide feedback to us as we interact and participate in relational contexts. Without others, we will never come to know our real self.

One of the best places for us to get helpful feedback is in our spiritual communities. If they are functioning as they should, our spiritual communities create a unique and safe environment for our journey of self-awareness. A spiritual community should be a place where people have developed trust and friendship that allows for vulnerability to receive feedback and freedom to offer insights. A safe environment is essential to learning to know our real self. If we don’t feel safe, we instinctively create defenses that keep us from seeing ourselves.

Fear is perhaps the primary obstacle to self-awareness. It contributes significantly to the unhealthy parts of our self that need healing. Spiritual communities that create safety are both helpful in our discovery of our real self and the healing of that self. Spiritual communities are also places where love abounds. This loving environment encourages us to take the risk of coming to know ourselves, trusting that the people who love us also want the best for us. Spiritual communities offer us grace and help us to give ourselves grace in our failures and brokenness.

Finally, spiritual communities are Spirit-filled, and in this place, the Spirit can actively work to bring about awareness and health, not just emotional health, but also spiritual health. As the health of our relationships with our community grows, we also can experience growth in our relationship with Jesus. Self-awareness is primarily a relational issue that must be worked out in relationship. Spiritual communities provide a safe, loving relational space where we can learn to know our real self and see more of the true self that God invites us into.