Challenges and Differences

There are certain things in this life that make us act out of character regardless how hard we try to stay in character. Where I’m from, the South, this is normally referred to as “losing your religion.”  Personally, I have strived really hard to get better at acting out of character but I’m convinced this is an area of life that will always be a battle for each individual.

Every person is different which doesn’t take long to figure out as we all have positive and negative traits about us. This includes what we are good at but also, what we are bad at and at this point in my life, I do my best to expand on what I am good at and build on what I am bad at. For example, when I was in school, including college, I tried harder at the subjects I was not very skilled in and math was just one of these subjects.

The same is still true today. While I can do basic math and certain pieces of advanced math, I have to work extra hard at most of it to even receive a respectable mark. This very concept, these principles, are true at the core of our Christian walk. Sanctification is what God provided for us as we are sanctified through our faith: “And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Corinthians. 1:30).

No person is deserving of such gifts but this is the type of love God has for his people. In saying this, we do have opportunities that we are not deserving of and we must act upon the

opportunities given to us which is one part of the maturation process in our Christian walk: “God works in us to will and do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).

Going back to what we discussed earlier, life is full of up and down moments. None of us are good at everything and when we are doing something we do not like and/or not good at, this can cause much frustration. When frustration and irritation are in the picture then we lose our cool, our calm, which is where we are more prone to act out of character.

This is not a message I’m getting from a new age book or philosophical mindset but personal experience. It’s different for everyone as many love to work on vehicles but it doesn’t take me long to become frustrated very quickly with the tools and/or parts. While I enjoy Christian doctrine and learning, others despise it and these differences make the world go around and interesting.

This is an important lesson that it took me a while to learn and if we were all the same, it would probably be boring. More so, little would get accomplished. Like sanctification, life is not about perfection but consistency: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;” (2 Corinthians 5:17-18).