True/False Self
“Do not be discouraged by the resistance you will encounter from your human nature; you must go against your human inclinations. Often, in the beginning, you will think that you are wasting time, but you must go on, be determined, and persevere in it until death, despite all the difficulties.”
― Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God
“Passerby, Francis of Assisi often prayed,
“Who are you, Lord, and who am I?”
He understood that to know the Holy Spirit, he must know himself. Without divine help, it is unlikely that you will come to know your false self, and until you do, you will not know your true self. The true self is the actual you, created by Her, in Her image. The authentic, true self is the only you with whom the Holy Spirit has a relationship. We seldom have the privilege of meeting a true self as we go about our business, but when we do, we know it!
Your false self is the only self that most others will ever see of you, and it is not truly you at all. As you matured, you played a part by accepting or rejecting additions based on your false self’s felt needs. Still, our false selves are primarily a ‘gift’ to us. Though not necessarily an excellent gift. Also, your false self exists only in your mind. The lessons learned from good and bad interactions with your family, education, early relationships, religion, and career provided the impetus for your choices to protect your false self. Protection of the false self from crucifixion is the primary occupation of the unenlightened. The true self will supply reality, or truth, with the nails.
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Choosing to turn and retrace your steps is to choose death.
Choosing the death of your false self is also choosing to take part in the blueprint on which She founded all creation instead of avoiding it. The cruciform order of suffering, death, burial, and resurrection is the way of all things. Rabbi Jesus showed this through his own suffering, death, burial, and resurrection. This order is no mere metaphor but reality. From nanoparticles to galaxies and everything in between, all die and are reborn in a never-ending flow of Spirit energy. Energy never goes away. It changes. In truth, all of the Energy that exists is Her Self in motion. Suffering and death are not contrary to the will of the Holy Spirit. They are the essential preamble to resurrection, which has always been Her aim. In your case, the old self, your false self, must die; from those ashes, you shall see your true self.