Fruitful Introspection
Many people today see value in introspection, sometimes called self-contemplation or mindfulness. Seeking to understand why we do what we do is widely accepted as a beneficial part of human growth and wellness.
The Popularity of Unplugging to Self-Contemplate
These days it is common to reason:
“If I can gain insight about why I perform a certain behavior, I can gain power over my action, thereby increasing control and the likelihood of desirable outcomes.”
Or, “I can empower myself by making my own life more thoughtful and meaningful.”
Even though our society’s information “firehose” constantly barrages us with superfluous and copious content, the popular conscience still acknowledges the benefits of occasionally withdrawing from the media flood to focus on our own well-being.
Questions about Self-Contemplation
But what is it we do when we self-contemplate? What makes this exercise beneficial? Is there a proper way to do it that increases its benefits and prevents harm? Do Christians self-contemplate differently than others?
The Subjective Nature of Self-Contemplation
Before embarking on self-exploration, it’s important to acknowledge that our observations about ourselves are not objective. We each hold opinions, values, biases, etc., that color everything we observe in the world.
Acknowledge Your Worldview or Lens
This is called our “worldview,” the comprehensive framework of ideas, beliefs, and values through which an individual or society interprets the world and interacts with reality.
You may have heard the word “lens” used in similar ways to “worldview”. Even when we look at ourselves, we are viewing through our “lens”. When we judge our own behavior as desirable or undesirable, we make that decision based on a formulated idea of good. In other words, whether or not a person realizes it, he/she decides what is right and then compares his/her behavior to that ideal.
Step 1 of Self-Contemplation
Think about your own worldview. Where do your ideas about goodness, happiness, and wellness come from? Have you ever considered this question before? If you haven’t, I urge you to.
Your ideas were built. Your ideas and worldview have a source. They may have been built haphazardly, accidentally, or sloppily, but they were built nonetheless. The more your worldview is built on assumptions and lies, the more dissatisfied and disillusioned
with life you will become. Conversely, the more your worldview is based on solid, tested truths, the more you will benefit from introspection or self-contemplation.
Get Your Worldview “Grounded”
Where you derive your ideas about right and wrong, what a good life or a bad life is, etc., greatly determines whether the self-contemplation exercise will get you anywhere. Your destination depends on where you derive truth and what your morality is based on. Exploring an abyss without a floor is an endless descent. An exploration with no ultimate end is a destination that circles back on itself.
Some examples of questions that expose a worldview are:
- What is the purpose of man’s existence?
- What constitutes a satisfactory life?
- How much power do I have over life events and outcomes?
Seek Grounded Influences for your Self-Exploration
If you set out on an exploration while depending on others who also are guide-less, you may descend into confusion and a worsening state.
I encourage you to seek self-exploration. However, I encourage you to seek it alongside a trusted, caring person who believes in absolute truth. This rules out a chatbot. This person should be interested in you and learning about your subjective experience. If your self-exploration also includes worries about depression, anxiety, or other mental health symptoms, I encourage you to seek a counselor who has mental health training as well (such as a degree and/or license credential).
Additionally, if you are a Christian, your counselor or guide also needs a developed, intentional, knowledgeable, and Biblical grounding. A Biblical grounding includes but is not limited to:
- Belief that the Bible is the authoritative word of God
- Belief in the Gospel, which establishes that humans are sinners deserving wrath. Jesus bore God’s wrath on the cross when he died, and now those who repent of their sins and trust in his sacrifice for us can receive adoption as children of God and eternal life
- Belief that we must bring our worldviews into alignment with the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments
- Acknowledgment that God is sovereign over all and that even a world that seems out of control from our perspective is safely under his power
- A secure hope that God has the power to heal, restore, and bring you safely through suffering
- Humility and prayerfulness regarding our efforts at self-contemplation
- Belief that God reveals truth in His time and we must wait upon Him for the source of the wisdom and timing of the healing
If you would like to learn more about what Biblically grounded counseling/therapy is like, reach out to our staff at Restoration Counseling. We want to encourage a productive self-contemplation journey. We are interested in your story, your wellness, and your development into the person God is calling you to be.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Written by: Nancy Messner
nancy@restorationcounselingatl.com
678-534-3824, ext.130
Nancy (Buckhead, Roswell and online) has a passion for working with individuals and couples as they strive to face life’s challenges. She has been married for 28 years to a pastor, and they have five children (ages 12-23). Nancy offers an objective, understanding, and non-judgmental atmosphere where individuals and couples can work on healing and growing under the light of God’s truth. She received her training from Wheaton College in 1999, further graduate work at Liberty University, and has lived in Atlanta for eleven years.