September 22, 2005

  • It is with a heavy heart that I say this:  From my experience and observation at Bible studies, people - even converted Christians - do not change their personalities just because they get closer to God (or believe they have). 


    I think we are born a certain way and then raised a certain way and in a certain environment.  We may rebel against our upbringing in our teens and early twenties, but ultimately, we return to our original selves as we were born and raised.


    I've checked out Bible study small groups for native Korean-speaking Koreans and those for English-speaking Korean-Americans.  The latter seem more devout and more knowledgeable of the Scripture in many ways than the former.  Yet it is the former who are so much warmer and friendlier.  My whole life I have always found Korean-Americans to be a less friendly people than native Koreans.  I guess I was hoping that both of these groups of people striving to get closer to God would make the disparity in coldness between the two a lot smaller.  But people's personalities do not change.  If you were born a certain way, raised a certain way, and in a certain environment (the US vs. Korea), you WILL revert to your true self. 


    My point:  Reading the Bible and striving to get closer to God can result in your heart and mind changing to an extent, but your personality will not change anymore than your blood type will.  Once a warm person always a warm person.  Once a cold, selfish brat, always a cold, selfish brat.  But the important thing is not to lose hope in God just because the personalities do not change.  That is the thing I have finally come to understand.


    This is neither praise nor complaint.  Just a thought.