If you can’t be the person you want to be, don’t be the opposite.
Just because you haven’t reached the goal you have for your character isn’t a reason to reverse the process. You might want to be patient, but it’s not a once-and-forever-complete process. You will still be impatient at times. Use it as a correction and motivation instead of an excuse. You might try to be kind, but it’s not a once-and-forever-complete process. You will be unkind and insensitive at times. Let it remind you why kindness is important. Pride is going to crowd out humility at times. Envy or anxiety is going to push away contentment at times. Worry or busyness is going to infringe on peace at times.
We don’t mean to have a knee-jerk reaction, but it happens. We might not plan it, but we live it. It’s as if we can’t figure out how to get it right and we get it horribly wrong. We can’t fall a little short. We turn and run instead. I’ve seen the about-face happen. It can happen a little at a time but is the most shocking when it is sudden and unexpected. It’s rarely healthy.
If you can’t be the person you want to be, don’t be the opposite. Instead, keep leaning into the person you want to be. Better yet, keep leaning into the person God intends you to be.
Pure Purpose 