My first year of Little League was a bust. I couldn’t connect with even an eleven-year-old fastball. Though our team won the championship, I felt like a worthless hindrance. By obligation, Coach Goodnight would send me to the plate, once every game or so, to take my three swings and sit down.
I felt like giving up, but I loved baseball. During the offseason, I spent a lot of time working on my eye hand coordination and improving my bat speed.
When I showed up for tryouts the following year, I imagine Coach Goodnight couldn’t have been thrilled to see me. But, to my delight, my training paid off. I could connect on pitches, even from a twelve-year-old. And, since I was a decent fielder, I was assigned the role of starting second baseman.
One Saturday morning, as we warmed up for one of our home games, I saw that Pop, my paternal grandfather, had joined my mother in the stands. This delighted me and I especially wanted to play well for him.
There were runners on first and second base when I came to bat for my first plate appearance. I can still picture the details in my mind, over fifty years later. I swung hard at the first pitch. It was a bit outside, so being a righthanded batter, the ball lined between the first and second basemen, heading for the fence. As I rounded first base, I decided to keep running past second and head for third. I slid in ahead of the tag for a triple, driving in two runs.
It wasn’t a Mickey Mantle home run, but I couldn’t have been more excited. When the dust cleared and I stood on third base, I looked up into the crowd and singled out Pop. He had a huge grin on his face, wildly clapping. He was proud of me.
People Pleasing
As I think back on that moment and others like it, I see how important it is for us to please those we care about. As children, parental acceptance and love is important, but we can easily equate our performance with our value. After all, we learn from an early age how our achievements bring us favor. Passing marks in school mean we get promoted to the next grade. Doing well during tryouts earns us a part in the play. Obeying our parents keeps us from being punished.
It’s easy to conclude that what we do determines how much we’re loved. But this is in direct contradiction to the good news of Jesus Christ. Paul said some very stern things to the Galatians about their tendencies to follow a “gospel” of works righteousness, especially for the purpose of people pleasing.
As we have said before, even now I say again: if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!
For am I now seeking the favor of people, or of God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ (Galatians 1:9-10 NASB).
Focused
We’re to live Godly lives but not to earn affection. Only God’s approval is necessary. Our right standing with God is based on what Christ has done, not on anything we could ever accomplish. [1]
Jesus modeled a life of setting aside His own will and living only to please his Father [2]. This focus freed Him from being bound by the actions and opinions of men. Resting in His Father’s love, Jesus freely and lovingly washed Judas and Peter’s feet, men who would betray and deny Him. [3]
Jesus was fully aware of God’s great love for Him, so He didn’t need to depend on the opinions of men. And neither do we.
But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, because He knew all people, and because He did not need anyone to testify about mankind, for He Himself knew what was in mankind (John 2:24-25 NASB).
As Christians, we’ve been adopted into God’s family as His children [4]. Were hidden in Christ Jesus [5], united with Him. In Christ, we please God already.
and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you (Romans 8:8-9a NASB).
As believers, we’re left with a huge paradigm shift. We must leave behind our dependence upon others for approval. We live now only to please our Father God. And, as we rest in Christ, His life in us is what pleases God.
We get to set aside all worries of what people think of us and live every moment for our Audience of One.
Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people,knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve (Colossians 3:23-24 NASB).
Prayer
Lord, as I picture Pop smiling and cheering me on that day so many years ago, I remember that You delight in me even more than he did. [6] Help me to rest in Your love and acceptance, no matter how folks treat me. I trust in You alone. I release my addiction to worrying about what people think of me.
I know I can’t successfully focus on You without You. Help me never to depend upon any human for my well-being. May I continually trust in You alone.
Please keep me focused on You throughout each day. When I stray from living only for You, please remind me quickly.
Amen.
One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord And to]meditate in His temple (Psalm 27:4 NASB)
Please Check out the Cola City Podcast . Discussions that impact the vision of reaching every man, woman, and child in a city.
Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.
Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading.
Novels by the Author:
Rob Buck
What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for? Beyond Time
By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains
At the turn of the century, our family went on a short term missions trip to Mexico. During some of our down time, we decided to visit the local market. As we entered, we were amazed at the wide variety of colorful local fare, from flowers, to fruits and vegetables, to intricate crafts.
Immediately, vendors called their products to our attention for purchase. One of us, I can’t remember who, told them we wanted to look around and that we’d come back.
We spent a good bit of time enjoying the massive amount of tables, reaching deeper and deeper into the space, to the point we almost lost our way back to the front. Most of us bought at least one thing.
Suddenly, it dawned upon us how late it was, so we made our way to the front. As we exited, one of the vendors we first encountered yelled in English, “What about me?”
I felt bad and I’m not even sure we responded, but the question, “What about me?” has become a family catch phrase when one of us wants to insert ourselves.
As I continue to walk this journey with Jesus, the more I realize I’m asking the same question in my heart. What about me? Until recently, I didn’t recognize what a consuming quest this really is.
I know I’m not alone in this inward battle. Our Christian lives are a continual challenge, to live in the realities of Galatians 2:20, the great summary of God’s good news. “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”
Living a life of “I have been crucified” is not easy.
I see what happened to two of Jesus’ disciples in Mark 9:35-37, “James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, *came up to Jesus, saying to Him, ‘Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.’And He said to them, ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’They said to Him, ‘Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.’”
They were asking, What about me?
What about me?seems to be built into the fabric of our hearts.
What I want to say is what John the Baptist said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30 NASB)
What about me? is such a restricting, narrowing view. It limits the world and chokes my joy.
It’s You Lord!changes the game from introspection on my little kingdom, into full hope upon the glorious kingdom of God, waiting to explode into eternal ecstasy. [1]
What about me? requires control and strain to produce circumstances which I hope will maintain my happiness. It puts me where God should be and steals any moments of abiding in His gladness.
It’s You Lord!releases care and trusts in a loving God, who is at work in a greater story of making me more like Jesus. [2]
What about me? longs for the love and approval of others. It produces competitiveness, envy and continual effort to be liked and admired by others.
It’s You Lord!produces gratitude and praise, which keeps me peaceful under the yolk of Jesus’ gentle and humble heart. [3]
I desire this change in my heart, the transformation of John the Baptist, more than anything I can think of. But, I know this kind of work is not a self study class. If I’m to move from What about me? to It’s You Lord! it requires the Lord, not me.
Lord, show me in Your word and empower me by Your Spirit to be less about me and more about You.
He Must Increase, but I Must Decrease.
During our family vacation last year, I was walking on the beach talking with my bride about some deep spiritual matters. This was a convergence of three of our very favorite things to do together: be at the beach, walk, and talk about spiritual things.
As we walked, she said, “We all have swiss cheese hearts.”
This was a striking image as I pictured it and I’ve thought about it a lot since then. Certainly, God has created our hearts with a void only He can fill.
Examining my own heart, I’ve identified five major holes which I’ve historically tried to fill myself. I know, with Solomon, that trying to fill my eternal holes with anything of this world is vanity of vanities. [4] Yet, I scream What about me? as I try and plug these holes myself.
Perhaps others can relate.
The Need to Be Admired
In my heart, I see a deep longing to be admired. When people, especially those important to me, make me feel disliked or even hated, What about me? screams out. The “desired to be admired hole” aches with a painful feeling of being unloved.
It’s You Lord! points me to the amazing love God has for me, as revealed in His word and in His actions. Though there are many scriptures about God’s incomprehensible love for us, [5] I’ll focus on what Jesus told His disciples the night before He died, “Just as the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you; remain in My love.” (John 15:9)
The eternal love of God is the only thing which can fill my hole to be admired. Expecting this kind of love from others is toxic. It not only binds me to the approval of men, but produces a self-serving love for others, which is not sincere.
Ugh. This is really bad When What about me? comes to mind about not being admired, I determine to saturated my heart to overflowing with God’s perfect love.
It’s You Lord!
Lord, You love me with a love I’ll never fully grasp, which fills my heart to overflowing. Please remind me of this when people are mean to me and act hateful.
In my heart, I see a need to be accepted. When people, especially those important to me, make me feel rejected, What about me? screams out. The “desired to be accepted hole” aches with a painful feeling of being excluded.
It’s You Lord! points me to what God did for all of His children before the world began: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In loveHe predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,to the praise of the glory of His grace, with which He favored us in the Beloved. (Ephesians 1:3-6 NASB)
God chose me, to be His child before I was even born. The passage goes on to say that in His love for me, I’ve been lavished with grace, redeemed with His love, and given His Holy Spirit as an installment of my inheritance.
I’ve had some really important people in my life reject me. And the pain does not go away. But it’s a pain of loss, not a loss of value.
No person can define my value, no matter how important. Before I breathed a breath, God called me His own. No person can change that by rejecting me.
It’s You Lord!
Lord, You’ve accepted me by Your blood. This is what matters. Please help me remember this.
In my heart, I see a insatiable need to accomplish things. This drive seems to always be running in the background, to the point that sometimes I have to force myself to relax.
I fight a fear of failure. What about me? yells that nothing I do is good enough. And there’s the problem in the open. What “I” do.
It’s You Lord! points me to II Corinthians 5:21: He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Me trying to accomplish some righteousness of my own is the very essence of stupidity. Not only is it impossible, (all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God) [5], but it’s an affront to what Christ has done for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly. (Galatians 2:21 NASB)
Will I fail? Most definitely; every day. But am I a failure? By now means.
But as for me, I stand on the righteousness of Christ.
It’s You Lord!
You have given me Your righteousness. You have made me complete, fully accomplished in You. Please help me remember this when I feel like a failure.
In my heart, I see a need to be affirmed, to be recognized, to have my achievements pointed out. What about me? wants my glory to shine.
My, my, my. Me, me me. As I write it’s more than ludicrous. Yet, the temptation rises.
When I think about what Jesus did for me, I realize He wants me to consider myself dead when it comes to my glory. Paul actually wrote this in Colossians 3:3-4: For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
It’s You Lord! helps me realize I’m hidden in Christ. That’s affirmation enough. It’s His life which is to be celebrated, His glory. Why would a dead man need to be recognized and given credit anyway?
Christ is my life. No need to be individually affirmed. One day, I’ll be revealed with Him in glory. His glory, not mine.
Lord, please help me remember this when I feel the need to be recognized and given credit for anything. No need to strive to be affirmed. I rest in You.
In my heart, I recognize the deep need to be satisfied, for my longings to be appeased. As mentioned before, God put longing in every human heart. [6]
Blaise Pascal wrote, “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of each man which cannot be satisfied by any created thing, but only by God the creator made known by Jesus Christ.”
What about me? believes I must plug these holes myself. But I can’t. I’ve tried being admired by people, accomplishing many tasks, being pliable to be accepted, and competing to be affirmed.
I’m realizing that the sum of these searches for lasting joy only leave my wanting all the more.
I hear with Abram, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” (Genesis 15:1 NIV)
I now agree with Asaph, “But as for me, the nearness of God is my good;” (Psalm 73:28a NASB).
And with David, “You have put gladness in my heart, More than when their grain and new wine abound.” (Psalm 4:7 NASB)
It’s You Lord! is the answer to every hole in my swiss cheese heart.
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.” (John 6:35 NASB)
These are some holes in my heart which begin with ‘A’. Lord, show me the whole alphabet. (8^>
Lord, I depend upon me so often; even now, after decades of being Your disciple. But You are teaching me to rest in Your yoke. It’s not up to me anymore. It never was.
It’s Your glory, Lord, never mine. When a thought comes to highlight me, please remind me quickly that it’s You.
Lead me, I pray, to quickly disagree with the lies and agree with the truth that I’m complete in You, filled to the brim and overflowing with You in all areas.
In You, I’m always admired, always accepted, fully accomplished, affirmed in Your glory, and fully satisfied by You, my Bread of life. Your rivers of waters completely saturate my thirst.
You want me free, really free.
Please continue to show me ways I choose me and not You, my will and not Yours.
With your journal in hand, write down any What about me? areas in your own life. It could be one or more identified above or different ones.
When is it most often manifested?
Write down ways you think your self focus hampers your life.
What difference would it make if God was your focus and not you?
Write a prayer expressing your desires to make a change and be less self focused and more God focused, recognizing the need for the Holy Spirit to enable you.
If you’re willing, ask Him to continue to reveal self focused ways in you. He will.
Please Check out the Cola City Podcast . Discussions that impact the vision of reaching every man, woman, and child in a city.
Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.
Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading.
Novels by the Author:
Rob Buck
What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for? Beyond Time
By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains
You’re running late for work. You stayed up late and overslept. As you gather your info for the presentation you’re in charge of, you plop a sausage biscuit in the microwave and pry on your dress shoes. The oven sounds and you retrieve your breakfast. As you grab your lunch from the fridge, you spot the mustard and add a dab to your biscuit.
As you back out of the driveway, you calculate that, barring bad traffic, you’ll arrive just in time for the start of the meeting. You can feel the pressure mount as you pull to a stop at the first red light, the one that seems to take forever. As you wait, you take a sip of coffee and think of the countless hours you put into this presentation for your companies’ top client.
“We have good reasons for them to stay with us,” your boss had said. “You just have to clearly show them why.”
As you near the ramp to the highway, you hear a train whistle. Tension mounts. “Please Lord!” you pray.
No deal. The crossing arm comes down two cars a ahead of you. You’re stuck, boxed in, with no way to take an alternate route. The train cars just keep on coming. You sip your coffee and pick up the biscuit from the paper plate.
As you take a bite, you get lost in the savory, crunchy delight. But then, as if in slow motion, you watch a large mustard drop escape from the back end of the biscuit as you take your second bite. Yellowness plops and spreads quickly down your blue dress shirt. You look around. No napkins.
Your boss glares you down as you burst into the conference room, fifteen minutes late. A junior colleague stands up from the presentation desk and gives you a questioning look. Soon after you sit down, you realize why. In your late night weariness, you forgot to upload the presentation from your home computer to the companies’ shared folder.
In stunned disbelief and growing panic, the words of a song flash in your mind:
Mamma said there’ll be days like this There’ll be days like this, mamma said. [1]
Perhaps you’ve had days which feel this unnerving. I know I have. What steps do we take to recover?
Recovery Mode
Being an IT professional, I’ve been trained to think recovery. We make plans for restoring the data when programs end abnormally?
That’s IT, but how do we recover from life’s unexpected happenings?
I suggest there’s two phases – circumstantial recovery (dealing with the problems at hand) and inside recovery (dealing with the affects on our mind and emotions).
Circumstantially, in the above scenario, perhaps an honest disclosure of your disastrous morning would add some sympathetic humor to the growing tension. Then you could give your presentation from the heart without the Power Point slides.
This might work, but what about the damage to your insides? What are ways you can tend to your heart when your outsides are falling apart?
Soul Recovery
What’s the plan?
As believers in Jesus Christ, we need to be reminded of God’s overall plan. Though we’d like to be, we’re not in control. God is and His plan doesn’t include elimination of chaos from our lives. He has a much greater plan. God is at work for His greater purpose of bringing the universe into submission to Jesus Christ. [2] He’s also at work in us, not for us to experience the American dream, but for us to be transformed more and more into the image of Christ. [3]
Get with the plan?
If God’s plan is different than us just being happy, how can we get with His plan? Even though we love smooth, predictable days with no oversleeping, no train delays, no mustard stains and dazzling presentations, this is not necessarily God’s plan for our day.
What if far greater, eternal things happen in the midst of our difficulties? What if, in our trials, we learn more and more to depend on God and not on ourselves? [4] What if problems lead us into more intense interactions with folks around us, giving opportunities to love them more deeply?
The Rest of the Story
In the above scenario, when you finish speaking your presentation, you feel relieved. As far as you can tell, you hit all the major points from your presentation.
To your surprise, the client walks up and congratulates you on how you owned up to your struggles and forged ahead, even with an ugly blob of mustard on your shirt. You both laugh. Your client mentions similar experiences and empathizes with you.
When the client leaves, you’re junior colleague comes up and compliments you on how cool you were under pressure and asks you how you did it. This gives you an opportunity to give glory to God for what He did in you. You tell him how you were praying and asking God for guidance the whole way through.
Hearing your name, you look over and see your client and boss talking. They both smile at you. Your presentation did the trick, the client is renewing for another year.
Stepping Into the Greater Plan
Not every bad day ends with circumstantial success. Some days are so bad we feel the effects for a long time. However, if we stick with God’s greater plan as our goal, our actions can have positive eternal ramifications.
The bottom line has to do with our goal for each day. Is our primary goal to be successful in all our tasks with no problems? Or is our first priority to love God and whomever He puts in our path as we go about our duties? [5]
This change in focus is a paradigm shift which changes everything concerning our stress levels and our joy. Keeping God’s greater purposes in mind, we develop a love first mentality.
If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love.These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you (John 15-10-12 NASB).
Prayer
Lord, I’ve had days like what is described above. At the time, it felt as if my life was falling apart and crashing into the sea. But, You are an ever present help in my times of trouble. [6] Thank You.
You are trustworthy. You know what’s best for me. You never stop working for my greater good. Please increase my faith that I might always trust in Your greater purposes no matter my circumstances. Please help me order my days around loving over accomplishments.
Amen
[1] Song by The Shirelles, 1961
[2] Ephesians 1:9-12
[3] Romans 8:28-29
[4] II Corinthians 1:8-9
[5] Matthew 22:36-40
[6] Psalms 46:1-3
Other Posts on Experiencing God during Difficulties:
Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.
Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading.
Novels by the Author:
What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for? Beyond Time
By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains
Growing up, I had an idealistic scenario of what I hoped my future would be like. My aim was a life of peace and circumstantial happiness. But it didn’t take long to realize reality is far different.
When I gave my life to Jesus Christ, I figured it would be much better since I’d chosen the right path. What I didn’t factor in is true life is about something far greater than comfort and smooth circumstances.
God is working for my good, but He alone knows what that is. Sometimes we face hard, confusing situations. Jesus tells us we’ll experience troubles , but we wonder why since all they seem to produce is pain. [1]
In a broken relationship my wife and I are facing with a close family member, God seems to have erected a ‘God at Work – No Trespassing’ sign. We’ve done all we know to do.
We pray ferociously. We cry out. We wait.
The following steps help:
Don’t Pretend
Don’t pretend all is well. Acknowledge life is different than you had hoped. Accept the loss and feel the pain.
Lord, I call You near in the depths of my grief. You’re the God of all Comfort. Sooth my pain with the Joy of Your presence.[2]
Celebrate God’s Faithfulness
Celebrate the fact that God has seen you through tough times before and trust He will do it again in this situation.
Lord, You’ve been so faithful through so many difficulties. Looking back, I certainly see how You’ve used these trials for me to give up trying to live life on my own and to trust You.[3] The eternal work You’ve done in my soul makes this very hard situation worth it. It has strengthened me emotionally and spiritually. It has drawn me closer to my bride.
Stop Fretting
Fret – to be worried or anxious.
Catch yourself in the act of fretting about what you can’t change. This is in the Lord’s hands. Decide to stop trying to figure things out.
Lord, I trust You to invite me into this difficulty when You’re ready. I don’t want to thwart what You’re doing. In the meantime, I trust You’re at work in the lives of all involved in ways I may never understand.
Focus on What’s Beautiful
Focus on the beautiful things on this side of the ‘God at Work’ sign.
With the birds, celebrate the waking of the new day. Look your loved ones in the face and take in every precious moment. Stay present. Engage your senses in all of God’s moments. Savor. Acknowledge God’s nearness in every detail of His creation.
Though we may feel as if we’ve failed, in Christ, we believers are complete. [4] and no situation can change that. We died, and our lives are now hidden with Christ in God.[5]
Lord, in You I’m okay, even if this situation is never resolved. I’m free to enjoy life’s moments with You, in spite of any unexpected situation.
Take Time to Draw Near
But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; (Psalm 73:28a NASB)
Lord, my heart is ready to be glad. In you, I rejoice always, even when life takes a turn which threatens my sense of well being. Through it all, my eyes are on You. My faith is growing because of this hard reality in ways I would have never thought possible. I draw closer to You every day because of it. I don’t need this situation to work out to be okay.
You are enough.
My life is oriented from things above where I’m seated with You. My comfort is not the most important thing. Please continue Your work while I wait.
Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary. (Isaiah 40:31 NASB)
Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.
Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading.
Novels by the Author:
What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for? Beyond Time
By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains
Note: If you’ve heard about or desired God’s love for you, but never thought it possible because of how you’ve lived your life, I have a message for you in blue below. Read on.
Last fall, at a men’s retreat at Camp Kanuga in the mountains of North Carolina, we sang the song Good Good Father.[1] It’s about God being a good Father and the fact that His love for us is our identity. I liked the song, but had no idea how the Lord would use it later that weekend.
The weather was perfect when I ventured out during our alone time Sunday morning. A cool, musky breeze gently brushing my face as I tread on newly fallen leaves toward the labyrinth. I’d seen the circular maze the day before and at the recommendation of a cabin mate, wanted to experience it.
A labyrinth is a walking path used as a tool for contemplative prayer. As I stepped onto the serpentine paths leading to the center, I did what the sign said and set aside my worries, asking God to make me aware of His presence, listening for His impressions on my heart.
As I walked to and fro, back and forth, I was progressing to the center, which represents the presence of God. The center has semicircles resembling a six leaf clover. When I reached it, I paused, stilling my thoughts and breathed in the cool autumn air. I was impressed with the words “It’s who you are.” Was this because we just sang the song? I thought. But “It’s who you are” remained steady in my heart.
I moved and stood within one of the half circles and completed the thought, “Being loved by God is who I am.”
Being loved by God is who I am. No other identity needed. I could have told you that intellectually before that moment, but God wanted this truth to travel past layers of protection and false identities to my very core.
My roles of being a devout Christian, loving husband and father, successful businessman, adequate provider, faithful friend, or encouraging brother are not the core of who I am. THE ONLY IDENTITY I NEED IS BEING A LOVED CHILD OF GOD. My other roles and identities flow out of this most important fact about me. I’m loved by God.
How many times have I felt like a failure and doubted my worth because of inadequacies in my different roles?
In the center of the labyrinth, past failures and future fears seemed to be swept away in an instant, buried deep in a sea of God’s love.
As I made my way out of the labyrinth, I knew I was different.
I thought – if this is true
quickly a correction came to mind – because this is true, how I live my life outside the labyrinth will never be the same.
I’m still processing the impact, but I’m seeing I don’t need any of those other identities I’ve been fighting for. I’m at peace in who I am as God’s loved child and free to love others without needing anything in return for my validation and identity.
Challenge: Think of your biggest failure or inadequacy. How do you feel about yourself in this area? Do you ever find you identify more with what you say about yourself than what God says about you?
Now think of the thing that tends to cause you the most worry, that fear which seems to follow you around.
Being loved by God is the most important thing about you and overshadows by a million miles those things you had in mind. God’s love for you is eternal and everlasting.
Being loved by God is who you are, a fact which towers above and washes away, all failures, all inadequacies and all fears.
And when you know, truly know, God loves you, you can yield to His Spirit within to love the folks He puts in your way.
Prayer: Lord, I know Your love for me is far beyond my knowledge. Nothing imaginable can snatch me from your great love. Open the eyes of my heart that I might continue to grow more and more aware of how very much You love me.
May the fact of Your love be the definition of who I am and the overflowing purpose for the rest of my moments. Amen.
See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. I John 3:1a
What if you’ve never really known God’s love for you? If you’ve heard about God’s love but never embraced it, you can now. Cross over. There’s a great chasm between all humans and God because of our sin. If it weren’t so, the pureness of God would be spoiled.
That chasm cannot be crossed except by living a completely sinless life. Jesus lived this life and by the spilling of His blood a way has been forged across the chasm.
If you’re experiencing a realization that what I’m saying is true, embrace it. Cross over from death to life by realizing your great dilemma and acting on God’s invitation to surrender your efforts to save yourself and resting in His arms as your Lord and Father.
If you decide to cross over by the bridge of the cross of Christ into eternal life and would like some ideas of some next steps, please send me an email. Thank you for reading this.
