the basic constitution of a person, who we are at the core
one's natural instincts
your default response, what you do before you think about it.
just something i've been thinking about. what are our true natures? how much control do we have over who we are and who we become? i supposed i maintain the idea that it is the choices that we make shape our future selves. each choice, each action changes you a little.
and lastly - where is the balance between accepting/loving who you are and hoping for a better version of yourself.
2 comments:
In regards to the last question: I think the two choices, accepting/loving who you are vs hoping for a better version of yourself, are not necessarily opposed to each other. The idea of grace in Christianity is that God's acceptance and love of who you are as you are right now is what enables you to change and become a better, perfected version of yourself. It's freedom to be, freedom to change, and freedom to become the you that God intended. I guess that gets back to the nature question. We were each created uniquely for a purpose -- meaning God has a designer had an idea of the perfect version of you in mind before you were born. And grace gives us the opportunity to reclaim that version of ourselves despite the sin which has trapped, corrupted, and killed us even before we were born.
I think our own response to this is to accept God's love for us as we are right now, despite our faults, and learn to love ourselves the same way, freely and generously. And in that love, allow ourselves the freedom to dream of who we were and could be if it were not for sin and corrupted intentions, and then try to live that vision of ourselves through our choices to the best of our abilities.
hey wayne, thanks for your comment. i think sometimes that God created version of yourself seems so far away. I do like thinking about it. Once a friend in college said, "sometimes i like to imagine what our friends will be like in heaven. without our insecurities, imperfections, sins. just the best parts of them left."
i guess i was just thinking about this b/c i feel like i keep fighting the same battles. that some faults seem so ingrained, just wonder if its really possible to be you without them. but i like what you say about accepting God's love for us; if He can offer grace for us, can we also offer it to ourselves?
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