I heard a Christian counselor say today that most men do not believe God loves them. He went on to say that this includes most pastors. He believes that because many men are so performance driven that we believe we must earn God's love by the things we do, and this is why many men, including pastors, can so easily become workaholics. No matter how much we do, it is never enough to earn the love of God we so deeply crave.
There is a big disconnect between what we say, and preach, and what we believe deep within our core. Nearly every preacher I've ever heard can preach a great sermon on the unconditional love of God, but I'm not sure all those preachers really believe it for themselves. Many of the ministers I encounter are trying so hard to earn something, whether it is God's love, the respect of others, or, in some cases, the approval of their fathers. We know in our minds that God loves us, but sometimes it can be hard to really believe it in our hearts. This is a heavy burden that many ministers carry.
Do you believe there is some truth in this? Do you really believe that God loves you unconditionally or do you believe there is some stuff in your life that make such love impossible? Do you find there are times you feel you have to prove your worth to God? What about the other men in your church? Are any of them struggling with receiving God's unconditional love? How can your church help them experience that love?
2 comments:
Dennis,
I really do think there is some truth in this. I myself have wrestled with this on and off in ministry. Truthfully, I deal with it much more than I would like to admit.
We men derive so much of our value, identity, and worth from what we do, that it is difficult to believe at our core that God really values and loves us just because....
I agree, Jeff. I struggle as well wondering how much of my ministry is done to win God's favor. I am taking a DMin class this week, and I have wondered if my pursuit for more education is to be able to better serve God or another way that I am trying to prove my worth to Him or to others. I think these are questions each minister needs to ask and honestly answer. I also think it is OK if we're not sure what the answer to these questions are because at least we are asking them. What are the motives behind our activity? I hope to hear from more readers!
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