Wednesday Black Session Week 6

Put Off Becoming The Natural Man

The natural man is a man of the worldly pleasures.  The natural man seeks guidance by things and substances. The natural man’s happiness is controlled by these things and substances to the point that no joy can be obtained without these things or substances.  The natural man is driven by selfishness and greed; he is blinded and cannot see life’s simple pleasures anymore. The natural man’s freedom has been stripped and he doesn’t even realize it.  The natural man is trapped and has no control over his own life; the worldly, temporary pleasures have total control now, and are showing no signs of letting go.Being a Natural Man is an easy lifestyle to live; it’s the lifestyle the majority of the population has chosen. It’s easy to live the “Eat Drink & Be Merry for Tomorrow We Die” lifestyle.  It’s easy to live clouded weekend after clouded weekend, where escaping reality becomes a common trend.  Being a natural man means succumbing to the short term, fake pleasures this world has to offer.  These fake, temporary pleasures bring us down from our unique elite state, to that of the natural man.When we put off becoming the Natural Man, we set ourselves apart – we are different.  There is a light about us that is indescribable in words, but all who surround us recognize the difference in the way that we carry ourselves.  We have an aura of confidence about us; a powerful light that shines so great, others find themselves wondering how they too can achieve this indescribable balance in their own lives. This unique, elite path does not come easy.  It’s a path of desired self-perfection where individuals must work daily in their efforts to obtain this perfection. Often times in our journey to this elite state, we fall off and succumb back to the ways of the Natural Man. The world that we live in is challenging, and full of intense temptations where it’s easy to escape and find temporary happiness.  Those who seek perfection, seek self-mastery.  One cannot obtain perfection unless he or she has mastered himself or herself.  This includes our thoughts and the way we think.  This includes how we speak, who we surround ourselves with, and what type of language we choose to use.  All of the natural man’s ways feed each other in one-way or another.  How we think often leads to how we speak and act.  How we speak and act a lot of times determines the decisions we make.  If we are thinking charitable thoughts, most times these thoughts lead to charitable acts.  If we are thinking bad thoughts, most times these thoughts lead to bad actions. The more we put off the ways of the natural man, the easier and easier it becomes; we slowly become a different, more well rounded person.  We are able to endure downtimes and boredom easier; we become more patient in our doings; we become confident and in control of all that life throws at us.  The ways of the natural man start to seem foreign, and don’t make sense anymore.  This newfound elite path has become a path of progress and personal growth.  The temporary happiness we once craved, has now diminished, and been dissolved. As we put off the Natural Man, we put ourselves on course to reach our full potential as human beings.  We become different in our thoughts and our actions.  We grow in a different direction.  Putting off the natural man means that the sky is the limit to how much we can accomplish and do in this life.  We are in a position to make a difference in the lives of all who surround us when we put off the natural man.  We are in a position to not only better our community, but also the world if we wish. -Dustin Hawkins