Self-Deception
Haydn, my five-year old, was recently playing himself in Tic-Tac-Toe and was stoked that he won more times than he lost. He’s nearly undefeated playing himself.
I do similarly in that I don’t understand things the way I should and it gives me a false sense of right, wrong and reality.
Limited Perspective
Recently Tristen, Haydn and I were talking about how long it would take to build I-85. Haydn said it would take 500 hundred days. Tristen, my seven-year old, immediately jumped in and corrected him. She said they would be dead if it took that long. She said it would take 19 days to build the Interstate.
And I do that also: my perspective on some things have certain limitations.
I’m a lot like my children. The only problem is that my deceptions and limitations are more serious than tic-tac-toe or guesstimates on road construction.
The Wisdom of Suspicion
I have benefited from Dave Harvey’s book, When Sinners Say “I Do” when it comes to my self-deception or limited perspective. Here’s a helpful quote from his book:
When you’re in a conflict with your spouse, or evaluating a past conflict, have you ever said (aloud or to yourself), “God knows my heart in this situation”? Was that a comforting or reassuring thought? Did you imagine that a divine examination of your deepest motives and desires would uncover nothing but the purest and most Christ-like intentions? If so, you were on a dangerous stretch of road with no guardrail at all, and probably well on your way to hurtling down into the bottomless canyon of self-deception. We’re talking crash and burn. But to live suspicious of your heart’s motivations, that’s safe spiritual driving.
Many marriage problems could move toward resolution if husband and wife actually lived as if they were “sinners” who said, “I do.” Sinners who are humble are growing more knowledgeable about their hearts.
Dave Harvey, When Sinners Say I Do, p. 64
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