Naturally

 
I have considered quite a bit as of late, how we are so inclined toward what is "natural" to us.

Of course we are.

Not just in the human sense, where we desire love and have to struggle against the carnal desires we have to suppress on a daily basis. I am talking about the things we struggle against that are as easy to us as breathing. Like, our emotional inclinations at any given time, the desire to dish to someone when we get upset, our desire to be silent when we are angry, how we say what we think, or dont tell anyone anything.

Thinking about this in terms of God's resources and how we use them, in what ways do we use the resources God has given us without even thinking about it? ..and how do we misuse them?

Thing is, that God made us how he made us on purpose, no argument there. He also had plans for how he wanted us to use those resources. Satan has a great plan as to how we can misuse them as well. And that is as true for those things that come "naturally" to us as not.

Sometimes the ways that using our resources feels the most "natural" is not the way God would want us to use them at all. 

Here are some examples ...

If you are one who speaks her mind ...you can naturally disregard how your words affect others, because you are just "saying it like it is"

If you are one who are shy by nature ...you may resist building Christian relationships and seeking out godly friends

If you are an emotional gal ...you may react in ways that hurt others, and use your feelings to justify it

If you are the brainy type...you could have less than loving degrees of compassion towards others

If you are by nature a leader ..you may use your influence to gain attention for yourself, rather than God

If counseling or teachings others is as easy as breathing ...you may put too much pride in your words, and talk when you should listen

If you are naturally inclined to plans ..you may struggle with letting God lead, and letting others guide
 
If you are are giddy over order ...then you may give undo worry to areas where God is the only order, and that is as it should be


All of these things are ways that God has blessed us gals, each to different degrees. He has given us "everything we need" in these areas so that we can do the tasks to which he has called us, but how many of our own struggles are because we follow our nature? We do what comes naturally to us, and so it seems right at the time...but if it is not Christlike, then it is not the way God intended us to use those resources that he gave us "naturally".

To refer to a recent post (here), we have to find balance between knowing and accepting what God gave us, and not being so comfortable with our "nature" that we ignore how Satan has used it against us. We have to be aware of both extremes - being too comfortable, and too uncomfortable.

No longer can we use what comes "naturally" to us as a justification for doing things that God would not claim - yes, God made us how He made us, but if we arent using what He gave us how he intended then we falling short of what we could be doing for Him.


For me, this thinking brings this verse to light a bit more ...

"Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires."

Romans 8:5

Just because it is natural to me, is not warrant to misuse my resources ..God specifically states that the Spirit cannot work under those conditions.


Blast ..I got more work to do than I realized ;)