What are we really about? Sometimes I underestimate the power of self-deception. I’m working through the 70 resolutions of Jonathan Edwards and resolution 48 says…

Resolved, Constantly, with the utmost niceness and diligence, and the strictest scrutiny, to be looking into the state of my soul, that I may know whether I have truly an interest in Christ or not; that when I come to die, I may not have any negligence respecting this to repent of.

Given what I do for a living, it’s very easy to convince myself and others that my motives are completely pure. Of course I want to follow Jesus. Of course I love him. Judging by this resolution, Edwards wanted to make sure that he was really in love with Christ. He cared more about what God thought about him than others.

Other people are easy to fool. Once you learn all the right things to say, deceiving ourselves and others isn’t that difficult. We can’t fool God. Every time we pray we should be mindful of the fact that God knows everything about us. This shouldn’t scare us as much as it should be a relief. Self-deception is hard work. It takes a lot of energy and effort. It should be a relief that we don’t have to pretend when we are in God’s presence.

One of the greatest freedoms is in knowing that we are the same inside as we are on the outside. Very few people on this planet can say that. That freedom comes with a cost and each of us must decide if we are willing to pay it.