Guest Blog: How God Made Me (Part 3 of 3)

While dissecting my own personality traits, God showed me a few ugly things. I was really shocked, because I thought I was being good…being like Jesus… being the person He designed me to be. But in some areas, I wasn’t. I learned that God has created us with gifts. Those gifts are described in the Bible and demonstrated by God. (Gal. 5:22, 1 Cor. 7:7, Eph. 2:10, Jam. 1:17) He did not put in us anything that is not of Him. Everything else came from another source, whether that’s the sin nature from our forefathers, or the experiences we had as a child. And often, the very gifts that God has given us get twisted into another manifestation.

It took me a minute—okay, a while—to realize that my gift of Mercy had been twisted into something that refused to confront. I would allow myself, and others, to be repeatedly used, rather than confront in love. My gift of Mercy was twisted into making me an enabler… one who actually condones hurtful actions by not confronting them. The moment I realized that, I became accountable to God for it. Once we realize where we are wrong, it is our responsibility to begin immediately to change that thought process.

Often, when you begin changing your thought processes, you will find one of two things: 1. Either you were taught or “programmed” to act that way by family or experiences (your culture). 2. Or you believed a lie and a demonic influence has been at work. When you talk to people who have been through deliverance they will say “Since I’ve been delivered of xyz, I don’t know how to respond in that area any more. It’s as if I’m empty in that spot and something that has always controlled my response there is gone now. So now I have to fill myself with God and find out how I’m really supposed to act in that area!” I have been through deliverance and have said that same thing. I thought all along that it was my “personality” that acted that way…that was just “how God made me.” But really it was a demonic force working in me to twist the gift that I had been given and stop my growth.

2 Peter 1:5-8 says this:
“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For is you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

2 Peter 1:3-4
“His divine power has given us every thing we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”

There is a “divine nature” He intended for us to have. We are to have it in every area of our life. And it’s His divine power that provides it for us. We don’t attain that by trying or striving, or through rules or self-professed humility… we receive it as a free gift when we allow Christ to live in and through us. Corruption of this world is not just murder and other vile things…it is corruption of God’s design…corruption of the gifts He has given you. We are to pursue Him and His nature in “increasing measure.” That means, once you think you have an inkling of it, never stop getting more. There should be none of this, “That’s how God made me, so the end, period, I’m done…no more growing!” The Bible says to renew your mind…and that starts with the deepest core of who you are as a person. Yes, Christ has a “personality”… as do you, but that “personality” is to be comprised entirely of God and Godliness… “It is not I that live, but Christ that lives in me.”