Dispositions

      I first met my three-month old great-grandson a few weeks ago. He smiled broadly at me. I thought I was special but my granddaughter said that he smiles at everyone. That young man has a positive disposition! He will go a long way in life provided that drugs never hamper that trait.
     Others are often inclined toward negativity or may have mood swings. "Dispositions" are moods or how people are predisposed to behave. My little Samuel was predisposed toward joviality. He will be a joy to be around! People avoid those negatively predisposed because they have a tendency to induce stress in those surrounding them. The serenity prayer was written because people have bad dispositions.
     Dispositions are defense mechanisms. Some have no reason to defend themselves, feeling quite comfortable with their knowledge, wisdom, and existence. People who feel inferior have a need to defend their perceived inadequacies by intimidation. The tactics of those defense mechanisms manifest themselves as negative dispositions. How does a balanced individual appear? Having mercifulness, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, forbearance, and forgiving of  one another (Col 3:12-13). Not only are meek people normal in the sense God designed them that way, but those characteristics or temperaments are also spiritual dispositions! They are how God desires His children to behave.
     Those who have negative dispositions are attacking, mean, proud, haughty, and quick to be argumentative. They can't handle different ideas and are intolerant. Of course, people with negative dispositions aren't always that way. They have a false pretense of lovingkindness with those they wish to befriend, but are mean-spirited to those who are an intimidation to them.
     Just yesterday, I sought to make a trade with a stranger. His defense mechanism was to promote himself and what he had, and belittle me. That was not a great bargaining tool because immediately I lost the desire to make the trade with him. His negative disposition alienated me. I wished to escape, and since it was an online transaction, I escaped quickly but not as fast as I should!
     I gave the man too much opportunity to show his disposition. I did not flee fast enough. In his third sentence he called me an idiot. Name-calling is a handy defense anyone has in trying to win an argument. He was not forbearing, and was prideful. He seemed to hate me without ever knowing me. He was predisposed toward hatred because I was a threat to his "god" which is himself. Thus, world's collided. The collision made me angry. Without ever meeting the man, I disliked him. That is not a good feeling for a Christian. I do not enjoy conflict; it is of the Devil. Conflict is the way iniquitous people express hatred.
     When people are negative toward those they "love", they are expressing some degree of hatred or at least resentment. My response to negative attitudes is to seek shelter. Being a Christian, I would rather not defend myself in things of little consequence, so I isolate myself from the source of stress. That reaction is forbearance. My love for the other person is such that I forbear their shortcomings.
     Sheltering oneself from a person on the attack is hard work. It is an act of love, and indeed, love is hard work! Our nature, with the exception of little Samuel (smile), is to have little forbearance for one another. Think on that: God forbears us but we seem to not be able to forbear others. People "shoot" others with the fiery darts from their negative dispositions. Negative dispositions are the quiver for our fiery darts. People just grab the "darts" and hurl them without realizing whose will they are doing!
     Th Devil uses peoples' flesh in his war. I call that flesh "our worlds" which contain our flesh and the things which appease our flesh. People protect their worlds in different manners. Those with inadequate defense mechanisms use negative tactics. Those who are secure use lovingkindness. How does that work?

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. (Rom 12:19-21).

     The method Christians are to use against other "worlds" is to love them! The nature of real Christians is lovingkindness which are positive dispositions. Shooting fiery darts of vengeance to protect our little, maybe false, worlds is not Christ's Way but Satan's. We are to kill those who attack us with kindness. Last night I sought revenge. I defended the insult with another insult. Christians can't feel good when they shoot fiery darts back. That's not the nature of God's children!
     What am I to do? I feel badly. That is a start. However, Christians have a responsibility to change. I have a "Christian" acquaintance whose nickname is Grumpy. I avoid him at all costs. I have tried humoring his little "god" but to no avail. No Christian should ever have a grumpy disposition. He needs to do something for three reasons: (1) to please God, (2) to avoid alienating other people, and (3) to improve his own confidence. Note that one is for him and two are for others, but when Christians walk the Way of Jesus, they gain!