RESPONSIBLE FOR OURSELVES

“I’m interested, too, in the idea of whether or not people can make us feel inferior without our consent. I’m of the belief that we are all responsible both for our behavior and for handling our emotions in healthy ways. I don’t think it is often constructive to attempt to hold people responsible for our feelings, but we can certainly speak up about behavior that is out of bounds and the hurt we feel–and create boundaries so that untrustworthy people don’t have free reign over our emotional lives,” writes Suzannah Paul.

The issue I see with this idea is that many of the templates of our behavior and feelings were cast and formed when we were quite young and impressionable. Changing them can take a long time for a lot of folks. For example, “to not allow others to make us feel inferior without our consent” can be a long project psychologically. Though not to hold others responsible for our own actions and behaviors is wise, it is also a mature person who can pull it off.

Even as one receives a new birth in Christ… it does not mean that some of this interior work does not take a while, but we now have the Holy Spirit to help.

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” Jesus