Introspective Inspection

"The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17:9


The broken-hearted prophet of Anathoth wrote about our hopeless condition of tainted introspection. Our hearts are deceitful.

We cannot see ourselves clearly. Our hearts are desperately sick, twisted and clothed with a robe of self-preservation and protection. Our hearts are corrupted and vile, we cannot understand the many channels where our wickedness hides nor can we perfectly ferret out the insidiousness that permeates the intentions we so carefully craft.

Recently I came face to face with this truth. Ultimately, God is the only one who can know our hearts. We have three sources for true inspection. The first is the Scriptures for since they are the breath of God they contain information, like the Jeremiah quote above, that give us some insight into who we are. If God made us then He knows us best.

Secondly, we have other people. Our behavior is best inspected by outsiders. They can observe how we interact and comment on how we come across to others. This gives us a good barometer reading although we usually claim immediate misunderstanding. Even though the specifics may be in dispute, more than likely the root contains enough weakness as to merit more fertilizer. We do well to hear them.

And lastly, there is us. While deceptive and skewed at times we can register introspective reports. We can as much as possible examine ourselves. Some like to flee to the corruption excuse while others like to flee to the third option as their only tool, but both of these are extremes that we should avoid.

We must use a thrice spun introspective inspection that is woven in prayer. That and that alone, is what will save us from becoming the most hated of men.