People of a Particular Sort

By Revelation Solate, Instructional Designer

Post date: Oct. 13, 2020

Playing soccer is one of my life’s great joys. It’s something I would consider myself to be good at — or at least above average.

Everyone has a particular skill or quality at which they can be considered “good” or “above average.” Some people are creative, some are athletic, some are good writers or communicators, others work well with their hands, or can carry a tune, and others still are kind, modest, witty or clever. (And virtually everyone seems to be good at slamming on their brakes the second they merge into my driving lane.)

But there are some people who are better than “good” at certain things; there are people with exceptional skills and excellent qualities. What makes these people so good at what they do?

When I think about an exceptional soccer player, I can list a series of actions that they’re skilled at — like executing precise passes or making strong shots. But what strikes me most is how effortlessly they do these things. It looks like second nature to them. And this doesn’t apply only to soccer: Whenever I see people with a life skill or personal characteristic I wish I had, I’m always drawn to how natural they make it look. For example, some people seem so naturally “Christian” that I can’t help but want to emulate them.

Jesus was naturally everything we want to be. And whenever he urges us to behave in a certain way he isn’t just giving us a list of actions to take — he’s painting a picture of a “second nature” we must develop. As C.S. Lewis said, “We might think that God wanted simply obedience to a set of rules: whereas he really wants people of a particular sort.”

Intentionally living our faith is not just about getting better at a particular skill or improving a couple areas of our lives; it's about developing a natural response, a habit, a reflex, a “second-nature” of Christlikeness that will gracefully change all of our skills, all of our personal qualities and each and every area of our lives.

Questions for Reflection:

• What is something that you’re naturally good or above average at? What’s something you wish you were good at?

• Which are some attributes of Christ that you most admire?

• How can you be more intentional in “clothing” yourself in Christ’s attributes each day?

Our Deeply Rooted devotionals are now designed specifically for you to engage in deeper community with one another. We encourage you to gather together as a team for 15-30 minutes of reading, discussion and prayer each week using the prompts in the devotional.

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