The Mrs. Rev Podcast: Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself
Being self-aware is a great asset. It helps you recognize when you are not seeing the fruit that you want to see in your life. Some trees produce fruit, but it is not whole, ripe, good fruit. That means that there is either a problem with the tree itself or something is happening to the tree that is preventing it from prospering.
When I feel like I am not seeing the fruit I want, I ask myself if it is because there is something I need to change, or if God trying to separate me from someone or something that is negatively affecting me.
Your issues will leak into every area of your life. If you are not careful, you can go into auto-pilot and not realize that you are carrying an attitude, offense, or an issue with you. Remember, you teach what you know, but you reproduce who you are. If you start to see issues in the people around you, you should first take a look at yourself! Keep your heart healthy!
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23
Don’t allow yourself to feel condemned! If there is a root or a seed of bitterness, you might respond in a way that is not authentic to your new nature! Decide to take everything to the Lord and operate in a way that reflects who you are in Christ.
Take some time to do an attitude check and ask the Holy Spirit to help you. The Holy Spirit is a great teacher. He is not going to condemn you and call you a horrible person. He’s going to lead you gently and help you to check the root of the fruit.
Here are some ways that you can practice self-awareness and check the root of the fruit:
Make a list of your strengths and celebrate them.
Make a list of your growth opportunities.
Write down your feelings, thoughts, prayers, goals, plans, and vision.
Reflect on the condition of your heart every day.
Take a personality test to help you understand yourself and people who are different from you.
Ask a trusted friend and/or co-worker to describe you so that you can see the difference between how you want to be perceived and how you are coming off.
Ask God to show you how others perceive you and to reveal anything in your life that is causing negative fruit.
Pray this: God, thank you for searching every part of me. I desire to be more like you! Help me to be even more self-aware and open to your correction. Help me not to get defensive or resist change but to focus on becoming the person you have called me to be. In Jesus’ name, Amen!