We hear a great deal about self-knowledge in the world today. The importance of knowing ourselves is often impressed upon us. Many books have been written on the subject, and various tests are publicized to help us achieve this, such as personality typing, IQ tests, quizzes which determine our aptitude for different careers, and others which assess our strengths and weaknesses. In a world that has largely embraced secular humanism, we are told that “developing self-knowledge is probably the most essential thing we can do for happiness.”
Such thinking is not new, for it was Socrates who coined the phrase, “Know thyself,” but he went further and also said, “To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom.” Yet even the natural man recognizes the limitations and ultimate futility of all this, for another has remarked, “Who studies himself arrests his own development.” Another writer speaks about “the never-complete manuscript that is the knowledge of self.” As believers, we may wonder how all this fits into the Word of God. Is it right to know ourselves? If so, how far can we go in knowing ourselves? Is it helpful in our Christian lives to spend our time on such things?
The Negative and the Positive
On the one hand, it is helpful for us as believers to know something about ourselves, both negatively and positively. On the negative side, many of us, especially those who have grown up in Christian homes, do not realize the depths of sin of which our old sinful flesh is capable. It is possible to realize this by divine revelation, for the Word of God tells us, through the Apostle Paul, that “I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing” (Rom. 7:1818For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. (Romans 7:18)). But for most of us, we would have to admit that God puts us through experiences that make us realize what is in our own hearts. Peter was self-confident that he would never deny the Lord, and he had to go through a bitter experience to learn his weakness. When we are aware of our “besetting sins,” we rely more on the Lord’s strength and not on our own.
On the positive side, it is good to know something of the gifts and capabilities that God has given us, whether in natural things or spiritual things. Someone who is very poor in mathematics, for example, would not be wise to seek a career as an engineer. In the church, harm has been done when some have had an exaggerated view of their gift and have gone beyond it. In other cases, it has been a loss to the church when those who had gift did not exercise it and develop it, and thus Paul had to say to Timothy, “Neglect not the gift that is in thee” (1 Tim. 4:1414Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. (1 Timothy 4:14)). If we have a desire to serve the Lord, He will show us what we can do for Him, and it will generally be in keeping with the ability He has given us.
Christianity Is Objective
However, to be occupied with self never makes us happy, and the Word of God never encourages this. The idea that knowing oneself is the road to wisdom and happiness is human wisdom, and it is the opposite of God’s wisdom. Christianity is objective, not subjective. God does not occupy us with ourselves except to judge sin, and then to be occupied with Christ. When our hearts are taken up with Him, we will find that we do not need to be taken up with self at all, except to deal with what is not according to God’s mind. Ultimately, it is impossible to know ourselves completely, and as we well know, we can and do change. Those who seek happiness in a marriage partner by describing themselves and then listing their “profile” on a website sometimes find that the individual with whom they end up has qualities and character traits that were not evident at first. Also, many people describe themselves as they wish they were, not as they actually are. Truly the human heart is “deceitful above all things” (Jer. 17:99The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9)). Sad to say, we can often deceive even ourselves about ourselves. Truly, the knowledge of self does not bring wisdom; rather, “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov. 9:1010The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10)), and for the believer, Christ is the wisdom of God for the Christian’s pathway. Jeremiah reminds us that “the way of a man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps” (Jer. 10:2323O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. (Jeremiah 10:23)).
The Knowledge of Himself
When we are brought to God, we have to do not only with One who knows us, but who brings us into the knowledge of Himself. As another has said, “I can know God’s heart a great deal better than I know my own.” We might ask how this can be, when we read, “How unsearchable are His [God’s] judgments, and His ways past finding out!” (Rom. 11:3333O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33)). It is because God is all goodness and also always acts in keeping with His holy nature that we can know His heart and His character. He has sent His Son down into this world to reveal Himself to us, so that the Lord Jesus could say, “He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father” (John 14:99Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? (John 14:9)). His heart of love has been fully revealed; there is no change, no deceit, no guile there. With my own heart there is.
An Object Outside Ourselves
Thus we now have an object outside of ourselves—an Object in God’s beloved Son and who delights to fill our heart. If there is a need to know something of ourselves, whether in a negative or a positive way, He will show us. Our main object is to be taken up with Him and all that He is. But some may say, Is it not good to know as much as possible about others — those whom I may wish to consider as my friends, and especially someone whom I might wish to marry? Yet how many marriages fail in spite of all the attempts made to know that potential spouse before the knot is tied!
It is far better to seek the Lord’s mind, for He knows us through and through — far better than knowing ourselves. He not only made us, but also knows our character, natural strengths and weaknesses, and our besetting sins. He has promised to lead and guide us. How far superior this is to matching personality types with possible job offers and life partners!
W. J. Prost