PREDISPOSITION

PREDISPOSITION
(Garren Stroud)

I was watching a science show the other night investigating what made criminals, criminals. The researcher began by doing C.A.T. scan on many prisoners who were serial killers. The scan showed an almost exact match on areas of the brain thought to be where compassion and love came from, and found these areas to be shut-down in every subject studied. Then the researcher did DNA testing for genes that might be common and found the so-called "Warrior" gene to be present in every test subject.

At this point in the show I was sure that the conclusion would be that these poor, underprivileged people couldn't help themselves from committing heinous crimes. But the next segment surprised me. The researcher was at a family gathering talking about his findings when his mother said; "you need to test yourself".

The researcher had a history of being hot tempered and uncaring in normal situations. His mother went on to tell him that in his family tree going back several generations there were no less than 16 murderers starting with Lizzie Borden. The researcher ran a C.A.T scan and DNA tests on himself and found that the areas of his brain, and "Warrior" gene were an identical match to his test subjects. He finally figured out that with the good family environment that he was brought up in offset the supposed predisposition to commit crime in his case. REALLY!

If only those who make the statement about themselves by saying; "I'm just the way I am" could come to the same conclusion the researcher did. We don't have to be just the way we are. As a matter-of-fact, we can't be just the way we are and be pleasing to God. This is the reason for the call to repent that Peter gave in his invitation in Acts 3:19, repent being a change, a turning.

We have to become different in order to follow God. After becoming a child of God many use this same excuse for coarse, uncaring behavior, it's just the way they are, they have no recourse to change, it's just the way I'm made they say. But we are instructed in scripture to be different. In Romans 12:10 Paul exhorts us by saying; "Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. 10  Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;"  "Without dissimulation" means without hypocrisy. We cannot pretend to love the brethren, we must really love them because "kindly affectioned" means tenderly loving.  "Preferring one another" means to take the lead in showing compassion and care. The ESV renders this verse- "outdo one another in showing honor" All of this takes work when we are not immediately drawn to a person, but isn't the Christian life a process in growth and change in every step of the way?

We need to make a commitment to God and to ourselves that we will work on being not ourselves, but more like His Son. We cannot flippantly make an excuse for rude behavior, ill thought or speech toward others. We must be lovers of our brethren for this is the new commandment we have from Jesus in John 13:34, and mentioned by John in II John 1:5.  If we are predisposed in anyway, let it be to love one another with a pure heart fervently, I Peter 1:22.

 

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