In my opinion, one of the most fascinating things about the way God created us is the fact that He gave us distinct personalities. How many of us love to take those personality quizzes and Myers-Briggs tests to figure out why we are the way we are? I know that I do! It’s so intriguing to me to understand why things affect me in certain ways, or why certain things set other people off. Personalities are so diverse, making the study of them so fascinating!

But with talk of differing personalities comes excuses. How often do we excuse our sinful attitudes or outbursts and blame them on our personalities? “I’m introverted” means we get away with not evangelizing. “I’m a natural leader” means we get away with arrogance and stepping on the people around us. “I’m outspoken” (that’s mine!) means we get away with sinful speech. Obviously having these personality traits isn’t sinful (they can be so useful in the Lord’s kingdom!), but I think they can tempt us to excuse certain things that are sinful.

I don’t know what kind of personality you have. I don’t know what kinds of things make you tick. I don’t know what you are like in your natural element, but I do know what the Bible has to say about the way we act:

For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (2 Cor 5: 14-17).

Regardless of our personalities or the ways we’re tempted to act, when we became Christians we put away sinful things. We put away hurtful speech. We put away dirty jokes. We put away pride and arrogance. We put away impure sexual urges. We put away every single thing that isn’t Christlike.

Today is December 31, 2014. Tomorrow starts a new year. Many people will be making resolutions and implementing changes tomorrow, which can be a great thing. However, if we’re only making resolutions that we plan to keep for about a week or so, we aren’t doing much good. If we’ll instead resolve to be different not for the sake of the calendar, but for the sake of our Savior, we will be doing ourselves a much greater service.

As we say goodbye to 2014, why not say goodbye to the excuses we’ve used. Why not leave behind all of the sinful attitudes and outbursts that we’ve blamed on our personality? God knows you better than you know yourself. He made you! He made your personality. Use your strengths to further His cause, instead of allowing your weaknesses to take control of your life.

Here’s hoping we all have a 2015 that will bring our best selves yet; a year that will find us doing the greatest good for our God. Happy new year, friend!