Know thyself, and God, to be grounded in both experience and reality!

David Benner writes,

“Though there has never been any serious theological quarrel with this ancient Christian understanding (that of deeply knowing God and self for transformation), it has been largely forgotten by the contemporary church. We have focused on knowing God and tended to ignore knowing ourselves. The consequences have often been grievous – marriages betrayed, families destroyed, ministries shipwrecked, and endless numbers of people damaged.

Leaving the self out of Christian spirituality results in a spirituality that is not well grounded in experience. It is, therefore, not well grounded in reality. Focusing on God while failing to know ourselves deeply may produce an external form or piety, but it will always leave a gap between appearance and reality. This is dangerous to the soul of anyone – and in spiritual leaders, it can also be disastrous for those they lead.”

Page 22 in “The Gift of Being Yourself” by David Benner