Understanding the false self

Understanding the false self

By Gary Michael Hassig
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It’s the face of the old unredeemed nature we all carry around with us. The false or self-made self is also the defensive self, a hardened shell against the world and against God. God softens us if we allow him to, eventually breaking through the crust of the self-made self which resists the changes God brings. Hate, anger, jealousy, and similar emotions are used as defense mechanisms to keep the self-made self guarded against perceived weakness; sarcasm, lying and other behaviors serve those hard emotions to maintain the false self’s status quo. The entire self-made self system is motivated by fear. But the true self–the God-made self, the not-afraid-to-be-vulnerable self, allows God to break down our defenses for a higher purpose: love, the kind of love Christ showed to all. 

Gary Michael Hassig

I sit in silence for long periods of time, then make joyful noise on the drums! I guess that makes me an oxymoron. (Some would say just a moron. Oh well.) I’m a third-generation Colorado native and have lived in the state all my life. I graduated from the University of Colorado at Denver (BA, Writing, 1988). In addition to my contemplative perusings, I love to read—from the Bible and biblical/historical studies, to Shakespeare, to Mark Twain, to John Grisham. I love to explore rhythms on the drums—drum set or hand percussion, worship, rock, jazz, blues, folk, country, drum circle, rudiments, jam band, anything; for me, it’s the most in-the-moment thing there is. I love to hike Colorado's mountains—I feel so alive and at home among the trees, boulders, rivers, and wildflowers—another very in-the-moment thing. I love to soak in Colorado’s many hot springs—Pagosa is my favorite, but there are many good ones. I love to watch good movies—from Dead Poets Society to Lord of the Rings to The Princess Bride—and eat good food and drink good wine or dark beer with my wife, Diane.

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