by Sherry Chamblee
I hear the phrase, “Well, it’s only natural” so often. I use it myself. We use that word, natural, to explain all sorts of behavior.
But thing is, there’s this huge misperception these days about what it means when some action is natural.
Being natural does NOT mean it’s excusable.
Being natural does NOT mean it should be tolerated.
As Christians, the natural man is something were supposed to overcome, not give in to.
1 Corinthians 2:14 King James Version (KJV)
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
We don’t naturally understand Godly things. We don’t naturally want to do what’s right all the time. We don’t naturally treat each other right.
It’s not natural to put someone else ahead of ourselves. It’s not natural for us to love someone like God loves them.
What’s natural to us is to understand our perspective, to work hard to defend ourselves, to justify our actions – to ourselves and to others. It’s natural for us to love someone else because of how they make us feel, or because they bring out the best in us, or because they make us feel good about ourselves.
Do we love someone else when they can give us nothing in return? Do we love them even when they don’t love us back?
What’s natural is not what God calls us to.
God calls us to the Super-natural.
Understand, God gets that certain things come naturally to us. We’re prone to wander. Yet He still commands us not to.
So while saying “it’s natural” may be something we need to consider, it shouldn’t be a stopping point. It’s just an aspect to consider. Being natural for us doesn’t make it ok.
With God’s help, we can rise above the natural.
About the Author:
Sherry grew up in various cities around northern and central California. This gave her all sorts of stories that sat and festered in her brain, waiting to be let loose. She eventually went to college in Wisconsin, where she met her equally frenetic husband, Rich. They have six (yes, count them) children, two dogs and a cat, and currently reside in a madhouse in the southern California area. As a family, they enjoy being active in their local church. Sherry spends her time writing when not caring for Granny, the kids, the dogs, the cat and any number of strays in the neighborhood.
Sherry Chamblee can be found at http://www.sherrychamblee.weebly.com Or check out her books at http://www.amazon.com/Sherry-Chamblee/e/B00BA06RJ2/