The Danger of Attaching God to our Idiosyncrasies

We all have different personalities (which is obvious enough). There is nothing wrong with a personals personality: it is not better to be naturally outgoing or inverted or sanguine or melancholy. What is wrong (or in the least, foolish) is claiming that our certain predisposition is somehow blessed by God and model to be imitated by other Christians.

For example consider the notions of obstinacy and pliability. Some of us are more naturally obstinate. Once we come to an idea we are slow to change our minds. Use rightly this could be considered the gift of faith; used wrongly it can become stubbornness or even pride. Others of us are more naturally pliable. That is we are more apt to change our minds. In its right form this is humility (the ability to admit when one is wrong), in its wrong form one becomes double-minded (in the sense used by St. James) and without faith.

It is neither wrong nor right to have either characteristic—both are naturally occurring tendencies. What is wrong (or, if it is not wrong, it can certainly lead one to wrongs), is to say that one or the other is Christ like. For example, one should not say that it is better that they are more naturally full of faith (for it is just as true that they are more naturally prone to be stuck in a false idea). Nor should one attach these things to denominations (Catholics are too dogmatic, etc), for being that these are a personality traits, they are found across all denominations (and even all faiths).

What should one do? Recognize their tendency and be on guard against it. If one is more prone to obstinacy, they should pray for humility and that God will guide them away from false beliefs while they retain the true. If one is prone to pliability, they should pray for faith and being that they are so easily influenced from one view to another, they should do all they can to surround themselves with good influences. And each should recognize the weaknesses of others: the obstinate man may be able to be around great sinners without falling, but the pliable man may not. If the obstinate man calls the prudence of the pliable man sinful, he risks causing his brother to fall into sin.