Satan is a deceiver. I need to be aware of his schemes. He’s not the only one I need to watch out for though. The other person I need to watch out for is…me. I can deceive myself.

I think my idea is good. It may not be.

I think I’m gifted at something. Maybe I’m not.

I think my way is best. There are probably several “best” ways.

When I’m self-deceived, I tend to think more highly of myself than I should. That’s pride. And God opposes the proud.

When I’m self-deceived, it means I have blind spots. It means you know things about me that I don’t know. Things I need to know, too.

To combat deception, I need the truth. When it’s self-deception, it’s a little harder to get that truth. Not only do I need to be very committed to seeking it out, but others need to be committed to giving it to me.

I’ll be honest…sometimes I don’t like hearing the truth, but I need to hear it. The alternative is living a self-deceived life.

My family loves watching American Idol. What always amazes me is how awful some people sound while thinking they’re actually great singers. These are the people who are convinced the judges don’t know what they’re talking about. These are the people who can’t see what the rest of us can. Is it because no one ever told them the truth in love?

I don’t want to be one of those people. I want to know the truth, as hard as it will be to hear. To get the truth, I need to be humble, willing to hear the truth without getting defensive. Those close to me need to have the freedom to tell me the truth. Will I give it to them?

Will you?