Being human

To be fully human means to live according to God’s will and to follow His commands. Since we are created in the image and likeness of God, we must act like Him. We must be rational, good, and social. God provided every single one of us a family that serves as an instrument or an agent for our self-realization or pagpapakatao. As defined in Webster’s Dictionary, Pagpapakatao or Self-realization is the attainment of such development as one’s mental and moral nature is capable of. It is the process of being fully human. It is the fulfilment of one’s potential. Our family moulded us into the person whom we became or into the person whom we are right now.

My family is a big part of my life and a big part of me. Each member of my family plays an important role in my life. My family has helped me in gaining the things that I’ve acquired right now. My family helped me acquire this since my parents we’re my first teachers. They have helped me in my self-realization. Since my very birth, my family are there for me. They have supported me in all the decisions I’ve made, no matter how small or how big it is. This is how I became a rational being. It is in our human nature to be rational since our God is a rational God. Being a rational being means that we are above all other inhabitants of this world. Each one of us has our own stand about something. My family is an active member of our Church. They are the ones who introduced God, our creator, to me. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been an active member of our Church. I’ve joined our “Sunday School” and “Kid’s Camp” during my childhood years and “Youth Camp” and “Bible Study Session” up to the present. Through this, I have known God and every time I go to our Church, I’m getting to know Him better and I’m gaining a much closer relationship with Him. Knowing God and recognizing Him as my Lord and my Saviour is a great aspect of our self-realization. Without my family, I wouldn’t have the faith that I’ve acquired now. My mom taught me how wonderful and amazing our God is and His works are. Through my family, I’ve learned that God is the creator of all the good things around us. My mom taught me that we must live to glorify His name and to praise Him. My mom and my dad taught me the difference between good and bad. They taught me how to have good moral. Being good in general means doing God’s will and obeying His commands. Moral means knowing what’s right from wrong. God gave us free will to make our own choice or preference on things. It is up to us if we are to choose good over evil. It is a matter of choice in what one believes in. Each one of us acquires conscience which dictates in choosing good over evil. It is God’s way of directing us in the right path. My family and our Church taught me that since God is good, we are good too. No matter how sinful we are, there is still goodness left in us. We must make ways in turning away from sin and turning towards God. All must follow what our consciences say. My family also helped me become a social being through how we have our fellowship with one another. I believe that it is in our human nature to be social that’s how we build relationships with our family, friends and with God. I remember the time when my brothers and I were still kids. We used to have this Bible and Prayer Fellowship together with our parents. By the means of this, I can say that my family has helped me in having a fellowship with God and with them. My parents always told me to make friends. Having friends is an example of human fellowship.

My mom always taught me that God is our companion at all times. He is always there for us and He will never abandon us. Through our social skills, we acquire love for God, for our family and for our friends.

Our families must go back in the beginning or in the start of God’s wonderful creations in order to attain or to gain self-realization. Our families play an important role in giving us salvation through self-realization. I have learned from my family, my friends and our Church that we can receive salvation by faith, by Scriptures and by God’s grace. Self-realization is the act of being fully human. To be human is to be is to be created in the image and likeness of God. And by image and likeness, I mean to be rational, good, and social. As rational beings, God gave us the responsibility to be stewards of His creations. We are to protect and to take care of it. As moral beings, we have our free will and it is up to us if we want good to overrule bad. As social beings, we acquire human love and social interest. Let us build a community of faith with God. Our families can affect our pagpapakatao since we grew up with them and what they believe in can greatly influence us.