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forever?

kokiiekokiie
edited December 1969 in Personal Issues
http://stbishoy.org.au/modules/wordpress/?p=9
That's kind of scary..

I didn't even know that existed, yet I recognise it so prominently in myself. That always happens, and I can't say I enjoy it.. For instance, today, I heard a song on the bus that seemed to be new to me.. I shortly realised i was singing along in my head. A song I didn't recognise, I don't know who sings it, I don't what it's called, I wouldn't even be able to remember it now.. But it's in there, it's stored inside and I didn't even know it was there..
Who can keep up ?

Scary, but inevitable. We have to make these discoveries in order to fight them, and in doing so, come one step closer to Jesus.

Though a young mind still has to wonder.. will this self-discovery ever end? I mean, sin never seems to end, even if one overcomes one sin, a new sin comes along and hides in a dark corner.. until light is shed upon it.. one fights it.. overcomes it..
new sin.
etc?

It's like, what's the point of trying to stop a train if you know it will continue its motion forever? I mean, though slowing it down may seem like it helps, it really doesn't, because no matter what you do, it will inevitably continue..

Comments

  • kokiiekokiie
    we're not trying to slow it down.. We're trying to change it's direction.

    hmm.. answered my own question...

    share your thoughts :)
  • [Deleted User]
    That link was very helpful. It seems now I have two types of arrogance to worry about  ;D
    To comment on your post, I don't think self-discovery has anything to do with sin. Self-discovery is a sincere awareness of oneself. It requires an honest approach towards one's own faults and shortcomings as well as one's gifts and abilities. Thus, a process toward self-discovery would necessarily include an admittance of one's inherent tendency towards sin. However, that awareness itself is not connected to any actual sins. That is to say, who you are as an individual does not include sin, only a flawed nature with a tendency to sin. Do you see the difference? This means that self-discovery is not a constant struggle to shed light on your past and present sins; it is a process of forming an awareness of oneself.
    Now about the "forever" part, I think this process is finite as you are finite. However, it can only come by looking first to God, who first created you with a certain purpose. Thus, true understanding of oneself can only come by accepting that you are a creation and that your self-discovery lies solely in your creator.
    Having said that, I hope I haven't deviated from the point of discussion. The train analogy threw me off a little. I don't quite get what train we're trying to slow down or avoid?
  • kokiiekokiie

    The train analogy threw me off a little. I don't quite get what train we're trying to slow down or avoid?

    the train is a bad analogy.. i just used it because a person can't physically stop a train [not from the outside anyway], Like a person can't stop the ongoing 'sin-cycle', my answer to myself was that, even though we will continue to discover new sin in ourselves.. when we work hard to overcome it we change the direction of the train.. so we move towards Jesus... I was only looking at the 2D picture, a straight line.. when in fact there's a third dimension i hadn't considered.. Direction.. Sorry if I've confused you more... just leave it out of the discussion, it's not really that important.....

    To comment on your post, I don't think self-discovery has anything to do with sin.

    Yes, but it's not only the discovery of sin i was reffering to, though it does seem that way.. now that i read it.. it seems like a whole lot of random sentences :-\.. that's what happens when it's time for bed. :D

    Anyway.. I was actually talking about all those things i find in there.. like stuff i didn't know was there, eg. the song.. well, that's still a bad example... but like the arrogance. every day, i seem to find things that I wasn't aware of before.. sometimes good, and sometimes i would just rather not find them.. i am not saying i'm discovering my 'personality', i believe personality is created, not discovered.. I'm just talking about.. stuff.. well obviously i can't really find a name for what i'm talking about.. does anyone else know what i'm talking about? .lol.

    Self-discovery is a sincere awareness of oneself. It requires an honest approach towards one's own faults and shortcomings as well as one's gifts and abilities. Thus, a process toward self-discovery would necessarily include an admittance of one's inherent tendency towards sin. However, that awareness itself is not connected to any actual sins. That is to say, who you are as an individual does not include sin, only a flawed nature with a tendency to sin. Do you see the difference?

    Yes, I like the way you put that :)
  • HolmesHolmes
    [coptic]+ Iryny nem `hmot>[/coptic]

    While I know I'm not contributing much here, I just wanted to post a quote (which can be found in my signature).  It goes along the lines of what Epnomos enTaio was saying: Self-discovery is a sincere awareness of oneself. It requires an honest approach towards one's own faults and shortcomings as well as one's gifts and abilities. Thus, a process toward self-discovery would necessarily include an admittance of one's inherent tendency towards sin. However, that awareness itself is not connected to any actual sins. That is to say, who you are as an individual does not include sin, only a flawed nature with a tendency to sin.

    The quote is from the great Abba Antony:

    He who knows himself, knows God.
  • [Deleted User]
    You bring up an interesting point, one which I am certain I can learn from.
    Since God is infinite, we can never fully know him. Does that mean we can never fully know ourselves?
  • HolmesHolmes
    [coptic]+ Iryny nem `hmot>[/coptic]

    That is an interesting question.  We, unlike God, are not infinite.  Thus, it is possible to fully know ourselves.  Knowing ourselves is a step to knowing God however, because we have been created in the image and likeness of God, and God abides in us.  Thus, the process of knowing one's self is, I would think, the first step in the process of theosis.  When we know ourselves, we know our purpose, and the original intent of God in creating us.  We being to know what our God-given potentials are and are able to fully realize those potentials.  Thus, self-knowledge will not lead to a full understanding of God (that will take an eternity).  However, by knowing ourselves, we will begin to see God in us, and we will be able to know Him better.
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