One of the goals of the serious follower of Christ is to live fully and to live well. To do this we have to cultivate, by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, an accurate self-awareness and daily address our divided hearts. Self-centeredness is the distortion of self-awareness because it deceives the heart of its true purpose which is to love to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. But the self lives for the self -- to glorify self and enjoy it forever. This is the essence of sin.

 

One half of our heart is seemingly willing to love and obey God -- to worship and delight in doing His will. But the other side is the exact opposite -- focused and prone to doing our own will.