"Just the way I am"? Beating yourself up? Determine with hope to move forward

A certain fatalism in our culture convinces us that inner change is not likely to occur. We say such things as, “That’s just the way I am.” We even urge ourselves and others to accept this and be done with it. 

Perhaps we do this in place of beating ourselves up, which is a destructive habit many Christians have. But recognizing and accepting one’s current condition is only a place to start—a valuable preliminary step. 

There is hope! Now that I see who I really am—lazy, moody, or pretentious—what am I to do next? What is the way forward? These are questions we ask of God and perhaps also of a friend or spiritual director. God will surely give us direction—small, ingenious ideas that will change us on the inside. 

TODAY’S EXPERIMENT -  Reflect upon what has perhaps blocked your intentions toward spiritual formation: You don’t have an adequate vision of life in God’s kingdom. You haven’t seriously examined what Jesus said and did, so that you can attempt those things. You don’t trust Jesus, rely on him, and count on him being the Anointed One, the Christ (even though you may have made an initial decision to do so). You think that knowing the right doctrine is enough. You have doubts about who Jesus was when he walked on earth and if he behaved wisely and with God’s hand upon him (although you wouldn’t say this to anyone at church). 

You have accepted that living life by accident or drift is normal and that those who make choices and live intentionally aren’t “fun.” You have spent so much time learning to accept yourself as you are that you haven’t asked what the way forward might be. If any of these possibilities are true about you, what would your next steps be in addressing them?