Measure Yourself Against the Majesty of God - Calvin's Institutes 2

Calvin states,

"...men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance, until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God." 39

This measurement against God is not self-annihilating but leads to a true self-understanding.  As Calvin says earlier,

"...it is evident that man never attains to true self-knowledge until he have previously contemplated the face of God, and come down after such contemplation to look into himself.  For (such is our innate pride) we always see ourselves just, and upright, and wise, and holy, until we are convinced by clear evidence, of our injustice, vileness, folly, and impurity." 38

We cannot know ourselves until we know God.  If the self is put in first place all manner of folly follows.  The American passion for searching for self-meaning is self-destructive because the self cannot be found without relationship to God.

All quotes from John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion.