Losing my personality?

[Jason A]

Hi all,

Over the last 12 months, I've changed a lot of things. I had a rebellious, wild debauched lifestyle, smoked dope, messed with girls, hung out with the wrong crowd!

All that has changed - my conversion has meant putting all those things away, and becoming a new creation. It's not as if those things ever made me really happy anyway. In fact, do they make anyone happy?

But it has led to the accusation from old friends that I have lost my personality and my uniqeness. Maybe my huge change of appearance recently has partly led to that conclusion.

Yet surely, if those things were part of my old personailty, I must be far better off without them. If we're "new" those old things must go away. That's true for every real Christian isn't it?

[HappyChristian]

Yes, Jason, it is. When we get saved, as you pointed out, we become new creatures. And our old friends are sometimes the first to notice the real changes in our lives. The unsaved do not understand what the Holy Spirit does in us, hence the comments.

[Psalms18_28]

It does happen. Happened to me. We lose old friends but we gain new ones.

[Psalms18_28]

"rebellious, wild debauched lifestyle, smoked dope, messed with girls" <----- there is nothing unique about that, just about everyone I know does this. You still be unique without doing all those things.

[kevinmiller]

You can have a personality and have fun without messing with girls and smoking dope. It might not appeal to the kind of friends you hung out with before but I always have a great time with my friends without having to do things that go against the Bible. I think you can still be a witness to your friends but once you make some friends in a good church somewhere, you'll be able to really enjoy good Christian company.

[Jason A]

You can have a personality and have fun without messing with girls and smoking dope. It might not appeal to the kind of friends you hung out with before but I always have a great time with my friends without having to do things that go against the Bible. I think you can still be a witness to your friends but once you make some friends in a good church somewhere, you'll be able to really enjoy good Christian company.

Since my hair was cut short, people have had difficulty recognizing me, and maybe that has changed people's attitudes towards me.

[Psalms18_28]

maybe, but lot of times when someone shaved his head and people start noticing and think it is so cool and rebellious. Funny how some things work.

[Jason A]

maybe, but lot of times when someone shaved his head and people start noticing and think it is so cool and rebellious. Funny how some things work.

With me, it was an attempt both to be scriptural and have a more conservative appearance. I didn't realize it would have such a profound effect on people's perceptions.

[kevinmiller]

It can have a big effect depending on how much hair you get taken off. I would encourage you to let it grow back to a length that is still conservative but also not to the point where it looks like you're going into the military. Should make it a little more comfortable for them, as well as you. Plus, a head of hair generally looks better than shaved.

[chev1958]

"Plus, a head of hair generally looks better than shaved." Hey, now, no need to insult us shaven heads! If you saw the state of my head of hair a few years ago, you'd thank me for shaving my head! Whew, it was ugly!

Mitch

[chev1958]

Psalms18_28 Wrote:
maybe, but lot of times when someone shaved his head and people start noticing and think it is so cool and rebellious. Funny how some things work.

I had been shaving my head for about five years before becoming pastor of a new church-plant. I asked our sending pastor if I should let my hair grow back to avoid a "cool and rebellious" appearance. He said not to worry about it.

[Psalms18_28]

That's what so strange about it.. When rebellious people shave, everyone noticed. If they are christian, no one noticed it.

[kevinmiller]

"Plus, a head of hair generally looks better than shaved." Hey, now, no need to insult us shaven heads! If you saw the state of my head of hair a few years ago, you'd thank me for shaving my head! Whew, it was ugly!

Mitch

lol. Sorry, I won't say anything about your shaved head.

Some people look great with a shaved head, other people wouldn't look good with it shaved. I, for one, would look terrible with a shaved head.

[chev1958]

I did ask my wife about letting my hair grow back once. Words can't describe the negative face I got!

[kevinmiller]

Haha. What happens? Is it really curly or something?