Knights Becoming and a Lady in Waiting

Inborn, Learned--- or Does It Matter?

MomofSix put an interesting comment on my previous entry:

I might consider boycotting them as well. I don't like what they are doing. I must say that I don't believe that God would put a desire in someone and then call it sin. So, I don't believe homosexuals are born that way. I had one try to recruit me at college. She tried to convince me by saying that I would like it better because that other woman would love me like my mother didn't...using her lack of mother's love for an excuse to get into that lifestyle. My girlfriend's son is in that lifestyle and he was recruited by a public high school teacher that made the moves on him...From all my own experiences and understanding, I say it is a learned behavior that warps the mind...as God says he hands them, the rebellious, over to a depraved mind. I tend to believe that scripture....Just a thought or belief from my viewpoint....God bless you for your boldness to speak out.

I just wanted to clarify here that I don't believe GOD puts the desire in them; I believe that the sinful nature of a fallen world does.  But I do believe that, for some, that desire-- or curiosity-- is internal, not external.

Every person has areas where they are more tempted than others.  For me, it's a hair-trigger anger reflex.  I am generally a passionate, enthusiastic person-- but that passion and enthusiasm spills over into my temper, too.  I can honestly say that I believe this is inborn; I would get absolutely furious as an infant when I got mad.  I have three sisters, raised in the same environment, and none of them has quite the same temper problem as I do (although one is close ).

My DH is naturally laid-back in temperment.  This makes him wonderfully patient (most of the time), but it also results in a very low self-motivation drive.  If he doesn't fight it, he is naturally lazy.

Both of those desires come from deep within us.  They are part of who we are.  Did God make me an angry type and him a lazy type?   No.  I agree that God does not put sin in our hearts.  But God allows thorns in our lives:

7To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

2 Corinthians 12:7-9

Couple that with Satan asking God for permission to harass Job (see Job 1) and God granting permission, I do believe God allows us to have an area of weakness for two reasons.

1.  This is a great opportunity for us to bring glory to God.  After Job loses everything, he could have cursed God.  He could have questioned Him.  He could have blamed Him.  Instead:

20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said:
       "Naked I came from my mother's womb,
       and naked I will depart. ^[c]
       The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
       may the name of the LORD be praised."  

Job 1:20-21

God was glorified through the way Job dealt with his thorn.  As God works through me provides the self-control to deal with my temper, it is pure glory to him, because those who know me well know I have tried everything to control it myself-- and failed.

2.  We learn to rely on God in the areas we are most weak.

10That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:10

Untitled Comment

7:53 PM, Sep. 2, 2006 .. Posted by tallenmomof5

I have always thought that it was totally possible that homosexuals were born with those type of desires, but that it was their responsibility to have some self control and not act on those desires.

Just as I struggle with overeating (in a sense making food my "god") and that went I indulge in that it becomes a sin. Not a big deal to some people, but that's my thorn.

My dh had struggled with his thorn (p*rn and such) for as long as he can remember...I'm talking like age 5 of earlier, he is 30 now and he hasn't given in to it for 6 years. It is possible to manage these thorns, he's walking proof of that.

Praise God!

I'm glad you brought this up.

(I know you left me a comment the other day, but I can't find it anywhere. Did you get the 2 I left here?)