"My identity dictates my behavior"

[chrysostom]

yes.

good post meshak

 

[Jamie Gigliotti]

you will know a tree by its fruit
and
you know a bad apple when you see it

Isn't it what Jesus came for to turn bad trees to good? And the trees knowing how much value they have by His love and acceptance turns them, or it can.

 

[chrysostom]

i am a scratcher of butts? :freak:



nonsense, there's so much more

we can lock our threads, we can bully others, we can parse other's posts into oblivion...

you forgot innuendo

 

[Town Heretic]

you forgot innuendo

I love to hear ironically challenged internet tough guys crying like someone stole their ponies. :chuckle:

 

[chrysostom]

I love to hear ironically challenged internet tough guys crying like someone stole their ponies. :chuckle:

why did you think we were talking about you?

 

[ok doser]

why did you think we were talking about you?

overly sensitive whiny little girlie-men always think people are talking about them

 

[Town Heretic]

why did you think we were talking about you?

Who said anything about who you were talking/thinking about?

I mean other than you, just now.

 

[ok doser]

you forgot innuendo

i believe we're seeing an example of it at the moment


that and weasely squirming :chuckle:

 

[Jamie Gigliotti]

"My identity dictates my behavior"

not exactly

you are what you do

If we find out identity in Him and on a path following Him and fall, and say start some horrendous sin pattern, again. Can we still find identity in Him? How could we?

 

[chrysostom]

If we find out identity in Him and on a path following Him and fall, and say start some horrendous sin pattern, again. Can we still find identity in Him? How could we?

what?
we fail every day
so
we ask forgiveness
and
try to do better

 

[meshak]

what?
we fail every day
so
we ask forgiveness
and
try to do better

Yes

 

[Jamie Gigliotti]

what?
we fail every day
so
we ask forgiveness
and
try to do better

That describes phillians 3, pressing on to perfection. Repentance.

There are those that say pressing on isn't necessary, or that that are just a sinner saved by grace, accepting their sins.

I don't see how you can truly have identity in Him without living for Him.

 

[chrysostom]

That describes phillians 3, pressing on to perfection. Repentance.

There are those that say pressing on isn't necessary, or that that are just a sinner saved by grace, accepting their sins.

I don't see how you can truly have identity in Him without living for Him.

I believe in Him
I believe I will be forgiven
I believe I must do better

 

[Quincy]

Pyschologists say we tend to mostly get our identity through how others see us, how we are accepted, or rejected. Truly getting our identity, our acceptence, our love from God requires a spiritual intimacy, love connection with God that can truly change who we are and how we clearly see ourselves in relationship to Him.

Well, I tend to act according to my instincts or conscience. I still don't understand how behavior comes from identity, after reading this. I don't really identify as anything other than human, yet a lot of people think I'm many different things. So I can relate to you what said about psychologists.

It seems like you're saying that a new found intimacy with God can change someone's behavior on an instinctual level. My confusion just comes from wondering whether or not people have to put on act to behave with a Christ-like discipline or if it becomes innate behavior.

 

[Quincy]

I don't really understand it, either.

Perhaps we will, eventually.

I have a good friend who is a life-long 'conservative republican', to the point that he really believes whatever the conservative republican spin machine tells him to believe regarding social issues, politics, and economics. I mean he believes it immediately, automatically, and fully. And he believes he believes it, himself, when I can see as plain as day that he believes it simply because he's being told to believe by this group that he has so intently identified himself with.

I know people like that, quite a few. It seems like their party of political allegiance gets a free pass on everything. I've never known any of them to attempt to fact check statements they hear.

I suspect there are some very deep psychological reasons involving his childhood that have something to do with it. But even still, I suspect I would have reacted very differently to those same circumstances. So maybe it's just been written into his DNA. He was coded to be a 'follower' and he just can't help himself. I am certain that he has no idea that he's doing this. And he would be very insulted if I even suggested it to him.

There is some interesting research out there regarding genetic memory. It makes me think that even beliefs can be passed on to children genetically. You often hear people say that a child has his/her dad's temper, or something similar but you rarely hear anyone say that you got your grandpa's political compass, :chuckle: . It could be true.

I don't understand it. But it seems I am seeing more and more of this 'self-identification by external group-think' these days because the media has figured out that this tendency exists in people and can easily be exploited to it's own advantage. As have the republican party. And so they are both exploiting it to their maximum effect and there are apparently a lot of people who are susceptible to it, for whatever reason. But don't bother trying to tell them about it, because they will not hear you, and they will become very insulted by your even suggesting it.

Media outlets are creating witch hunts, it seems. Some people identify as your standard stereotype of what an American is and all the recent changes to society threaten that. The media is just exploiting it. I don't understand the why of it, either.

 

[annabenedetti]

and meshak agrees
does that ruin your day?

No. Why should it?

 

[annabenedetti]

Good thread, anna, but it could use a little math.

I don't like math. :chuckle:

 

[Angel4Truth]

If we find out identity in Him and on a path following Him and fall, and say start some horrendous sin pattern, again. Can we still find identity in Him? How could we?

Hebrews 7:25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

John 8:36 "So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

 

[annabenedetti]

Yes. I see it as an ego thing. Our egos struggle to protect and maintain our idea of ourselves (and about everything else, too) whether they're good, bad, accurate, or absurd. So we have to tame our egos, and be willing to be both ignorant and wrong, to ever really learn anything, especially about ourselves. And people like my friend have a very difficult time doing that. He's not even aware that it's something he needs to do. And because he was abused as a kid, his self-image is very negative and his ego is quite fragile, and so I think he became a dogmatic follower of his self-identified 'clan' because doing so shores up his self-image and fragile ego.

Unfortunately, it also stops him from engaging in the very introspection that could heal the damage that was done to him.

Everyone is so different though, PureX. What's helpful for one person might not do anything at all for another. I don't know if it's always ego. Perhaps some are so broken there's no ego to tame. As you said, your friend's is quite fragile, and so what you see as good for you, being in a stronger place, might not be good for him at this point in his life. Fragile might not get stronger, fragile might shatter, if not handled very delicately.

 

[Jamie Gigliotti]

Well, I tend to act according to my instincts or conscience. I still don't understand how behavior comes from identity, after reading this. I don't really identify as anything other than human, yet a lot of people think I'm many different things. So I can relate to you what said about psychologists.

It seems like you're saying that a new found intimacy with God can change someone's behavior on an instinctual level. My confusion just comes from wondering whether or not people have to put on act to behave with a Christ-like discipline or if it becomes innate behavior.

We know His disciples by their love, no one acts that well, for long enough, that we can't see who they are.