How Do We Respond to “I Was Born This Way”?

Welcome to Pride Month 2024. Almost overnight, shop windows were filled with arrays of color, profile pictures changed, and people fill the streets all across the country.

Why I'm Not a Fan of Pride

At this point, it's no secret where I stand on Pride Month. I'm not a fan, but perhaps not for the reasons you might think. We are all called to mortify sin and cast away anything that distances us from God. Jesus teaches us to “cut off our hands” if they cause us to stumble into sin. Yet, during June, Christians often use “uncut hands” to point a condemning finger at the LGBT community, as if they were wicked sinners, too far from the Lord to be saved.

How Should We Respond to Pride?

First, let's remember that we all sin and fall short of God's glory, in need of His grace every day. Second, the LGBT community is not our enemy. This is a spiritual war, and our LGBT brothers and sisters are losing the battle. Instead of shaking our fingers, we should wield the Sword of the Spirit and remind everyone that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

I Was Hurt By Christians

Five years ago, I found myself at the center of a "gay protest". As a club volleyball player, a sport unfairly labeled as "gay" by some of my high school classmates, I was already a target for bullying. So, the year had reached a painful climax when a group of 100 Christians gathered, waving signs depicting flames, hurling gay slurs, and calling me to repentance. What hypocrites!

In that moment, part of my soul withered, and my heart began to harden. While I didn't explicitly reject Christianity, the sight of men shaking Bibles, shouting, and rocking our bus pushed me to make a decision. I queued up Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" and, as we drove away, I stood up and sung in defiance:

I'm beautiful in my way

'Cause God makes no mistakes

I'm on the right track, baby

I was born this way

That moment of defiant pride did not lead me on the “right track”, but with the protesters' shouts dulled by the music, I embraced one of Satan's most insidious lies: "Micah, you were born this way." Believing I was "born this way" made it easier to sin, so I accepted it without much resistance. However, when I was alone, the memory of those shaking signs and calls to repentance would resurface, burning in my mind and making me question: Was I really born this way?

Nature vs Nurture

This conversation often boils down to the debate of nature versus nurture: is same-sex attraction something inherent (a "gay gene") or is it shaped by cultural and environmental factors?

We may never have a definitive answer, and ultimately, it may not matter. What truly matters is our response to same-sex attractions, whether we believe they are innate or influenced by our surroundings. Instead of denying their existence or trying to mask them, the response should be one of surrender. An authentic submission to Christ means acknowledging Him as Lord, even over our feelings and attractions.

Satan's Whispers

I believe that God did not create people to be same-sex attracted; rather, same-sex attraction is a result of original sin, a distortion of God's design. Though I cannot be certain, I have personally felt Satan's whispers, asking me, "Did God actually say...?" much like he did with Eve. Satan's blatant lies and subtle distortions of God's words almost lead to destruction.

Living in Complete Surrender

By denying ourselves and surrendering our attractions and feelings to Christ, we acknowledge His sovereignty and trust in His design, despite the temptations and lies that may come our way. Sam Allberry describes this denial of self as “saying ‘no’ to your deepest sense of who you are, for the sake of Christ.”

This may feel unfair, and I think that is totally natural. I've often heard people say that telling someone to give up their same-sex attractions is equivalent to telling them they'll never be able to experience love—that they'd have to sacrifice everything meaningful to follow Christ. Sam Allberry addresses this claim in his book, Is God Anti-Gay?:

"The fact is that the gospel demands everything of all of us. If someone thinks the gospel has somehow slotted into their life quite easily, without causing any major adjustments to their lifestyle or aspirations, it is likely that they have not really started following Jesus at all."

Who Have You Surrendered To?

Consider this warning: if you have coddled the LGBT community through acceptance, allowing them to remain in lives of sin without calling for repentance because “everyone should be able to experience sexual love,” have you personally surrendered everything to Christ? Or is the Jesus you know different from the Jesus of the Bible?

True surrender to Christ involves giving up our deepest desires and attractions, trusting that His plan and His love are greater than anything we might have to sacrifice. This isn't easy, and it often feels unfair, but the gospel requires us to lay down our lives, our identities, and our deepest inclinations at the feet of Jesus, trusting in His perfect design and sovereignty, regardless of whether we were born this way or made this way.

His love is perfect and in no need of our modification.

If only someone reached out and told me this five years ago.

Quote from the Community

“It’s the same for all of us. We must find victory over sin through the power of the Holy Spirit and the growing desire to live our lives for Christ, finding the highest pleasure in life through Him and only Him.” -Caleb Rowles

How Do We Respond?

We Respond With Humility and Surrender

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Do you have any questions about the Christian faith or sexuality?

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