The Gap.
Recently, and with the help of my counsellor, I was reflecting on some of the deeper motives in my life. Things that have made me into the person I am today, but that also need to be brought into the light and love of Jesus. Within me, and perhaps within you, is a drive for acceptance and a fear of rejection. Don't we desire to be seen and known deeply by someone trustworthy; someone who won’t reject us when they find out more of who we are “warts and all?"
It is a risky venture. Perhaps we’ve risked this vulnerability before and been wounded? Perhaps we’ve been wounded by someone before we ever tried to risk being seen… so we put up some defenses and learned to ‘protect’ ourselves.
The painting above is of Rembrandt’s “The Return of the Prodigal Son” and a poster of it hangs in my office. As I reflected on these things, I saw myself as the kneeling son in the arms of his Father. After searching for worth and love in other things, the Son returns home, still a child of the Father, and finds a warm and welcoming embrace; an embrace that accepts his child “warts and all.” The Father (God) loves his child regardless of the misguided searching, wandering, mistakes and bad judgement. (Luke 15:11-32)
The Father knows what his child is now discovering; that his love has never faltered, never evaporated, or faded, but has suffered as the child searched for meaning in empty places. The Father is relieved that his child has finally come home to the place where he was always worthy of love.
Why is it so hard to believe that God truly loves us?
I think it’s partly because we have a hard time loving ourselves.
We don't see ourselves as God sees us. Sometimes we don’t believe we are worthy of love. Or perhaps we’ve never seen a human love in this way, so could it even be possible that a God could love in this way?
Yes.
I have found that it’s easier to tell you God loves you, to tell others about this amazing love and believe it for them, then it is to believe it for myself. But God’s radical, “warts and all,” love is true for you. And it’s true for me.
I’ve been engaged with Author Steve Cuss’ most recent book, “The Expectation Gap” wherein he writes about the gaps between what we believe about God and what we experience with God. In some thoughtful “fill-in-the-blank” sentences that can help us work towards acceptance of this love, answer the following...
Jesus died so I don’t have to ___________ anymore.
What if I was at least as ____________ with myself as Jesus is with me?
What words come to mind when you fill in those blanks?
What might your life look like if you really believed those statements?
It is my prayer that the radical love of Jesus will continue to do its work in our hearts so that we can be transformed as we truly believe that God loves us for who we are… warts and all... made in God’s image and worthy of love!
In the Strong name of Jesus,
Pastor Nathan
P.S. If you ever need to process some thoughts around this theme, I'd love to listen.