Our Innate nature

What is our innate nature? It is our unlearned behaviors. Think about two 2 year olds in a room full of toys. One child picks up a toy and starts playing with it. The other child picks up a toy and starts playing with it. Everything seems to be going well. Until one of them wants the toy the other child is playing with. He may go to reach for it and the child says, MINE! It is all downhill from here. The faces of despair, envy and wrath begin to appear. Grabbing and pushing for the one toy in a room full of toys. What has happened?

Their innate nature has taken over. First, the one child wants or covets the other child’s toy, then he may want what he has, envy. When he asked to share, the response is, MINE! The emotion flare and pride raises its evil head (how dare you deny me and treat me this way). Wrath then strikes out with grabbing, pushing and shoving until someone comes along and breaks it up.

Our innate nature consist of these four emotions of self, bound together. How can we escape ourselves? There is only one answer, Jesus. Jesus says the truth will set you free. Certainly from the wages of sin unto eternal life and from our innate selfish nature. God has given us the truth and we must put off the old man (nature) and put on the new man (nature). The new nature is in us, but it needs to be nurtured. Qualities like patience, meekness, humility and total surrender unto God.

Think about these qualities. Patience is produced through trials and tribulations. Meekness is strength under control. Humility, is knowing that you are not the greatest thing on earth. You find this out when you fail or strive for 100% and don’t quite make it.  “I am not perfect,” is the start to realizing I need help from God. Finally surrendering. It usually comes at a turning point in life’s journey. I knew I could not do it on my own, I just did not want to admit it. But now I have nowhere else to turn. At the bottom you cannot get any lower, you may be able to go sideways, but it is like wallowing in the mire. It is still the bottom. There is only one way to look for help and that is up. O, God help me from myself. Total surrender will lift you up and keep you going because God can exalt the humble.

Let go of covetousness, envy, pride and wrath and grab hold of patience, meekness, humility, and totally surrender unto God the benefits are eternal.

In Christ,

Greg