I am perpetually amazed by the ease with which I / we are deceived! At least, that is when I stop and think about it. And as that's not very often, I guess "perpetually amazed" is probably not true. That's the issue, I suppose ... I'm not perpetually amazed because I am deceived.
One of the best medicines for deception is to be exposed to reality - we mostly live our lives in a kind of mini-universe of one, around which there's the buzzing of people and activities. Usually we're busy putting on a display, a mask for the external universe to look upon, hoping its a display to amaze (and it usually isn't).
Meantime, on the inside, what we really look like is the rear end of a peacock!
This state of being is no more than simple deception ... because the business end of things is hidden away on the inside, we think we're getting away with it all and in doing so we fool not only others (sometimes), but also ourselves (most times). We get so used to this that we even think we look pretty on the inside.
The net result, of course, is a brittle veneer of age old pride ... fragile and prone to being scratched and damaged. But just because pride is as old as eating apples, doesn't make it any less of a problem. Consider, why do most of us not like what we look like in photos? Because it shows us something that contradicts the glowing mental picture we carry! Likewise, looking in the mirror (especially when stepping out of the shower) is a painful experience. Pride is the paint of our facade, and with too much exposure it begins to crack, chip and peel, and what lies underneath begins to show through.
The exposure of our rear-end is, of course, only half the story. Seeing our backside, really seeing it, acknowledging it, is making the admission that we're not as pretty as we think. And that is the critical moment ... only then can we begin to change things around. Why do you think Alcoholics Anonymous start with admitting one has a problem? Why do you think that in all failures it is the admission that is the first step of recovery?
This is all only a small reflection of the biggest of all facades that we paint, as we desperately try cover over our inadequacy, our fundamental incompleteness. We are not all we were created to be. We are lesser than that, and we carry an exceptional pride to think otherwise.
Only with this acknowledgement can we begin the journey of recovery back to who we were created to be. Only now can one say to God, "You made me to be more than this, but I painted my own facade and tried to be my own god". Here is the place where forgiveness meets repentance, and grace empowers a restoration. Here we find humility that leads to wisdom, and ultimately to the honour of wearing God's covering.
Maybe I need to reverse my view more often.
Also, you might want to read this post here
See Prov 15:13 & Prov 18:12
Full size picture available here