Contemplative Bible Reading

Micah 3:11 (New International Version)

Her leaders judge for a bribe,
her priests teach for a price,
and her prophets tell fortunes for money.
Yet they lean upon the LORD and say,
“Is not the LORD among us?
No disaster will come upon us.”

Imagine these guys. They take bribes; they only do their jobs if you give them extra money, and they make up stories for money instead of telling people what God tells them. And given all that, they are confident that God will take care of them.

What is wrong with these people? The answer is simple:

they are not aware of themselves.

Self-awareness may be the greatest challenge that any leader has. To be able to see myself the way other people see me. Do people think I am friendly or a grouch? Am I happy or sad? Will they talk to me or avoid me?

Is my life difficult? Is my life easy? Compared to who? Compared to when?

Some days I am concerned about many things. I don’t sleep well. I stew on problems. Then I talk to someone and learn that my worries are silly compared to what many people face. I am not aware of myself.

I am confident that the Lord is with me. I am not confident about disaster avoiding me as I don’t know that God promises his followers a trouble-free life. I know many Christians who  have many troubles in their lives. That is part of life on earth.

Still, am I aware of myself?

God, help me to understand how others see me. Help me to live in a way that when people look at my, they see you reflected in my life.