The Bible makes it clear that not being aware of this difference is being emotionally blind to your true situation. In fact, Jesus spent a lot of His ministry trying to remove this blindness and increasing people's own self-awareness. He knew that without truly knowing ourselves there is no way that we could properly know God. (Proverbs 14:12)
John Calvin, is one of the many spiritual giants who understood this concept. His quote, "The knowledge of God and the knowledge of ourselves are bound together by a mutual tie." is from his book, Institutes of the Christian Religion. Another spiritual thinker, John Ortberg says, "When we lack self-awareness, we project onto God and others the fear, anger, greed, and complaints that fest blindly beneath the surface of our lives." Quoting John Ortberg again, "Healing only begins when we become open to the fact that the truth is that we don't really know the truth about us. True healing begins when our desire to face reality is stronger than our desire to avoid pain." (Romans 7:15-24)
Like our ability to rationalize our sins, we all possess an uncanny ability to delude ourselves about our true station in life. If I can't see and think clearly about my own feelings and thoughts what hope do I have of seeing reality as it truly is? I believe that only God can reveal our true selves which is the path to seeing our own personal need for God clearly. The wonderful conclusion to this discussion is that just like in all things in our life, God has initiated the way of healing and reconciliation through His Son, Jesus Christ. (John 3:16)
"For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires." - Hebrews 4:12
