"Stand in your God-given personality.Be no other person's shadow."-Help in Daily Living,p43
I think there's a bit of confusion when it comes to personality and character.
Personality:the combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual's distinctive character.
Character:the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual
That's what I found when I googled.In my own understanding personality is what makes you distinct to everyone-your individuality.Looking at Moses-Moses was gentle,timid etc and Peter was forward,quick to speak etc.
Anyway why am I even talking about this? Because there are individuals who seem to not understand this concept in Christianity and they tend to want to supress other people's individualities.
Often,if you are a talkative person,this is often interpreted as you not being "humble,reserved" etc.But this is not so.A person can be an introvert and still be full of pride and this is crucial to understand because we end wanting to dictate people on how they should behave,rather who they should be-but God has already made people who they are and they need to be content in themselves (personality) and not look to anyone.
I remember an instant when someone had told me "you are not reserved,you should be like so and so" and these individuals were quiet people-mind you I was engaging with another individual who was helping to settle in a new environment and I obviously had to ask questions.So,for sometime I'd avoid engaging because I thought this meant I wasn't "reserved" enough.Then it went to me being told, "as a woman you should know when to speak" or you shouldn't speak much.So,I just ended up avoiding engaging with others because I wanted to be seem "humble,reserved" etc.That ended up with me being unhappy.
As I look back I realize,being humble is a heart issue.Also God has made each one of us distinct.God has made other people talkative,reserved,observant,hands-on etc and none of us is the same.There might be similarities but there are also distinctions.And this is to be so and this is what makes it all beautiful.
But no one's personality is the standard.We are not to use certain individuals as standards for womanhood/manhood.This demolishes our individuality.Oftern,courting brothers/brothers in general will look at an examplirary married woman and admire her traits and now they'd try to change the lady they want to court into a "copy" of this married woman and this is error.
Here we need to be careful!
Of course,as women,we need reserve when relating to the males.I can't come and start touching a brother as I would if I'd be talking to my sisters.But reserve does not mean keeping quiet and not engaging with each other.And sometimes males don't engage-so in this case,I see nothing wrong with engaging here and speaking our minds because we can learn from each other.
So,YAY TO INDIVIDUALITY!
I hope to read and share more on this.Hoping I'll get to a point where I express it eloquently.
I think there's a bit of confusion when it comes to personality and character.
Personality:the combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual's distinctive character.
Character:the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual
That's what I found when I googled.In my own understanding personality is what makes you distinct to everyone-your individuality.Looking at Moses-Moses was gentle,timid etc and Peter was forward,quick to speak etc.
Anyway why am I even talking about this? Because there are individuals who seem to not understand this concept in Christianity and they tend to want to supress other people's individualities.
Often,if you are a talkative person,this is often interpreted as you not being "humble,reserved" etc.But this is not so.A person can be an introvert and still be full of pride and this is crucial to understand because we end wanting to dictate people on how they should behave,rather who they should be-but God has already made people who they are and they need to be content in themselves (personality) and not look to anyone.
I remember an instant when someone had told me "you are not reserved,you should be like so and so" and these individuals were quiet people-mind you I was engaging with another individual who was helping to settle in a new environment and I obviously had to ask questions.So,for sometime I'd avoid engaging because I thought this meant I wasn't "reserved" enough.Then it went to me being told, "as a woman you should know when to speak" or you shouldn't speak much.So,I just ended up avoiding engaging with others because I wanted to be seem "humble,reserved" etc.That ended up with me being unhappy.
As I look back I realize,being humble is a heart issue.Also God has made each one of us distinct.God has made other people talkative,reserved,observant,hands-on etc and none of us is the same.There might be similarities but there are also distinctions.And this is to be so and this is what makes it all beautiful.
But no one's personality is the standard.We are not to use certain individuals as standards for womanhood/manhood.This demolishes our individuality.Oftern,courting brothers/brothers in general will look at an examplirary married woman and admire her traits and now they'd try to change the lady they want to court into a "copy" of this married woman and this is error.
Here we need to be careful!
Of course,as women,we need reserve when relating to the males.I can't come and start touching a brother as I would if I'd be talking to my sisters.But reserve does not mean keeping quiet and not engaging with each other.And sometimes males don't engage-so in this case,I see nothing wrong with engaging here and speaking our minds because we can learn from each other.
So,YAY TO INDIVIDUALITY!
I hope to read and share more on this.Hoping I'll get to a point where I express it eloquently.
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