We have a children’s book at my house that I really like called The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen. In this book, there’s a fish who’s just always gloomy and depressing (don’t we all know people like that?), and he thinks he can’t change it because that’s just the way he is.

I won’t ruin the story for you ( 🙂 ), but something happens to the fish that makes him realize he’s not actually a pout-pout fish who has to “spread the dreary wearies.” I like this story because I think we’re a lot like that fish. We excuse our poor behavior by saying, “That’s just the way I am.”

Yes, God created us each uniquely with our talents and personalities…and that is just the way we are. Buuuuut those things are never sinful.

We can’t justifiably say, “I get angry a lot, but that’s just the way I am” or “I’m just lazy.” That’s not the way you are! Those sins may come more naturally to you than to others, but that’s not how God created you to be!

God loves you just the way you are, but He also loves you enough to want you (and help you!) to become the person He created you to be! When the Bible tells us that we are the head and not the tail, and we are children of God, let’s not settle for “just the way I am.” Let’s strive to be who God made us to be!