The struggle to be better

My Greatest Flaws Exposed...

One thing I just recently started to value is family. I know it sounds strange but hear me out. Before I got baptized, I used to be selfish and inconsiderate. I put myself first and didn't think about how much I hurt the people closest to me. For example: my mom is a housecleaner and many times she came home exhausted from a long day of cleaning. The sink would be full of dishes, the trash overflowing, no dinner prepared and I would be out with my friends or at home doing whatever. I can't imagine the frustration my mom felt when I did this on a daily basis. There were many more things that I did that were wrong (I will go into more depth in future blogposts). Looking back at how I treated my family, I can't help but cringe. After I moved away for school, the more time I spent away from home, the more I understood how much I took for granted like no more home-cooked meals, etc. However, I didn't see the huge flaws in my character until I began to read the Bible. In fact, I thought I was almost always right, and that everyone else was against me. What a prideful way of thinking. James 1:23-25 compares the Bible to a mirror. Just like a mirror, the Bible exposes our flaws in ways that I never understood until I started reading it. Philippians 2:3 says to not do anything out of selfish ambition and to humbly value others above ourselves; 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 states that love is: patient, kind, it doesn't envy, it doesn't boast, it isn't proud, it doesn't dishonor others, it's not self seeking, it's not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. There are tons more scriptures on every topic of our flawed human nature, but it was verses like these that really hit home. The more I read, the more I wanted to be like Jesus–who was the perfect human, the ultimate example of true love–the more I realized how much I was unlike him. Fast forward to now, I cherish and value my family like the God-given treasure that they are. I love my mom deeply, and I am working on patience with my sisters, and my dad and I are slowly mending our relationship because I am still learning forgiveness– but that's a story for another time!