“That’s how God made me” is a statement that can be very freeing – or completely enslaving. Like it’s reverse, “That’s not how God made me” it can make your life, and the lives of those around you, far better or much worse.
There are things about us that are innate, they are who we are, they are how we are made, and we either can’t do anything about those things, or can’t do anything about them without deeply harming who we are. Things like being an introvert, or being optimistic – these are personality traits that we can not turn around 180° just by force of will. When we accept those things that are who we are as who we are, we can stop worrying about them, or beating ourselves over them, or wasting time trying to change them, or being harmed by those who want us to be different.
On the other hand, some folks use this idea to try and excuse themselves from being decent people. They want to believe that being rude, or always grumpy, or pushy, or always exaggerating, are something God made them – and thus something they can’t change. Folks who do this can be difficult to be around, as their unloving or bad behaviour will continue unchecked, and without remorse.
It can be tough to decide what is “how God made me” and what is not, but the Bible gives us some very good help on this:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. [Gal 5:22-26 NKJV]
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