Born This Way

Yes, I know the title of this post is also the title of a Lady Gaga song. I did that on purpose.

So I've been stewing over this particular thought for a long while now, so I'll try to do it justice. Oh, and welcome to what may become my first polemical post ever. Some people may hate it. But I'm toning down my quippy attitude for this one. I mean it sincerely.

When I first heard Lady Gaga's song, I thought it had a nice message to it. "I'm beautiful in my way, / 'Cause God makes no mistakes" is certainly an uplifting sentiment that I happen to agree with. Unfortunately, that's about where my warm-fuzzy feelings toward the song end.

As I've gotten older, I've become more aware that our society is pushing for more and more acceptance of every person's unique situation. Taken at face value, that seems like a really nice mentality, but it's never sat comfortably with me and I haven't been able to figure it out until recently.

Then I was reading The Continuous Atonement by Brad Wilcox, and he said this: "When we fold our arms and exclaim defiantly, 'It's just the way I am' or 'I was born this way,' we are denying the miracle of Christ---not just to save, but to redeem."

And that's what bugs me about the "Born this way" sentiment that we find all over the place. Yes, we are all born into this world with unique sets of characteristics and challenges, and God doesn't make any mistakes with our placement into the families we're born into. He knows exactly what we can handle and what we're capable of accomplishing. But that's just the thing: He wants us to accomplish. The word "accomplish" means to complete, finish, or perfect. We aren't born as blank slates, but we are all born with the fresh opportunity to take the painting we started with and finish it.

To use the excuse "It's just the way that I am" is exactly that: an excuse. In essence, it's an excuse to do nothing---to sit back and leave the painting alone. The Atonement was given not only to fix our mistakes and wipe us clean of past indiscretions, but also to change us and lift us higher than we were when we started. Even a person who does no wrong still needs the Atonement to elevate him to the level God wants him to reach.

Part of the reason this whole idea has jumped out at me is that I have struggled with that exact sentiment and used it as an excuse not to change: "I was born with the tendency to be a little lazy. I can't change it, because it's hardwired into my nature." And while it may be true that I lean toward idleness more than, say, my crazy-driven and highly-motivated brother, that doesn't mean that I can't change it. History is stuffed to the brim with stories of people who overcame their innate challenges and accomplished (there's that word again!) incredible things. Helen Keller. Albert Einstein. Joseph Smith. Beethoven. These stories would lose some of their timelessness if each person hadn't had struggles and setbacks to overcome.

And that's why I take issue with the "I was born this way" argument, no matter who is arguing it or why they're using it as an argument---even if it's me arguing with myself. Just because we are born a certain way doesn't mean that we are confined to those parameters. The Lord has given us everything we need to change and become what we want to be. For some people, sticking with what they were born with is good enough. Others use that ability to change in a negative way.

And then there are those who take the Lord's hand and allow Him to offer His expertise and all-knowing perspective in guiding them to become something truly astounding. What they become may not receive the honor and appreciation of the world, but they end up with a far greater reward: happiness. Not just happiness, but real joy. They become true heirs to everything the Lord has to offer.

Why would you settle for what you already have when the Lord is literally offering you everything?