My greatest moments of joy and self-contentment are moments of self-unawareness. The best self-help isn’t self-expression. It’s self-denial that avoids self-inflicted pain.

Self-focus isn’t self-care. It’s self-entanglement. Self-indulgence leads to the self-reproach of self-inflicted guilt.

Self-will will keep you imprisoned in self-driven desires. Humbling yourself will release you from your self-locked cell. If self-attention was a good thing people wouldn’t want to self-medicate to get their mind off of their self-narrative.

Without self-restraint of self-attention and self-pity, negative thoughts and desires will lead to self-afflicted fear and insecurity. Lack of self-control leads to self-torment and self-destructive beliefs and behaviors.

Self-promotion leads to devotion to the false god of pride. Your self-doubt is a wakeup call to rely on God instead of on yourself. Self-love goes nowhere. It stays stuck in orbit around self-centeredness but receiving Christ’s love launches people far beyond the gravitational pull of self-concern.

Self-absorption is self-abuse. Peace and joy come through self-forgetfulness that gets swept up in the awe of God. The greater my self-awareness the more I realize my selfishness and my desperate need for Jesus.

Self-righteousness is self-deception. We humans all need the humble self-correction that’s called repentance.

Self-satisfaction isn’t found by self-seeking but by seeking first the kingdom (inner government) of God with all your heart. The way to true self-esteem is full self-surrender to the risen Jesus.

Self-justification can never talk away guilt. Self-forgiveness without God’s forgiveness is meaningless. Base your self-worth on Christ’s forgiveness and love for you, not on your love for yourself or your self-forgiveness.

Focusing on the Word of God and the presence of the risen Jesus needs to be greater than our focus on self. God wants to show us more. Will we let Him, even if it goes against our self-consumed desires, feelings, and opinions?

My wife and I can sometimes fall into self-indulgence, like we did with “MegaTacos” at a mall in San Jose, Costa Rica. (See why I need to keep blogging?)