Five More Factors That Distinguish Us from One Another

We regard no one according to the flesh.

2 Corinthians 5:16

Here are five more things that often shape our first impressions of others:

6. Gender: God has made us male and female and this has given rise to many of the cultural debates of our time. How do we deal with the things that make us different?

7. Work: What is your work? Manual labour? Business? Education? Healthcare? Science? Family? Understanding a person’s work can give you insight into his or her experience of life.

8. Home: People’s lifestyles include the homes they live in, the cars they drive, the vacations they enjoy, and the restaurants they eat at. These choices are often shaped by the means available to, or not available to, a person.

9. Family: This can include family of origin, adopted family, or family by marriage. There’s the issue of the peculiar mix that got scooped up out of the gene pool and poured into you. Gifts, talents, and physical features were all passed on to you from your parents, and along with them, many of the battles, desires, and struggles that were in your father and mother.

10. Experience: Who we are is shaped by nature and nurture; not only by our genetics but also by our environment. Our early experiences of love or neglect have a huge influence on the shape of our lives. Our opportunities—open doors and closed doors—make a big difference.

These issues are so sensitive because, for the vast majority of people, who we are ‘in the flesh’ is all there is, and if it’s all there is, we’re going to be constantly uptight about who we are.

Which of these has caused the most problems or conflicts for you?