What would you cite as the number one obstacle to spiritual growth?
You can probably name a few obstacles:
- not enough time in God’s Word
- lackluster prayer life
- wishy-washy commitment
Or maybe you would cite:
- inconsistent church attendance
- inattention to Scripture memory
- not enough time spent serving God
Of course I would agree. We all need to spend time in Scripture and prayer to grow in Christ. We need the support of our brothers and sisters in Christ to keep the faith. We need God’s Word in our hearts to combat the lies of Satan.
But the number one obstacle to your spiritual growth is:
doubting God’s love for you
Read Brennan Manning’s words from The Ragamuffin Gospel:
“Do you really accept the message that God is head over heels in love with you? I believe that this question is at the core of our ability to mature and grow spiritually. If in our hearts we really don’t believe that God loves us as we are, if we are still tainted by the lie that we can do something to make God love us more, we are rejecting the message of the cross.” (The Ragamuffin Gospel, p. 159)
Maybe you’re like me–you’ve sung “Jesus Loves Me” since you were a little kid. You’ve heard “God loves you” a million times. And so of course you know God loves you.
But do you live like you know that in the depths of your soul?
I ask because I recently discovered a part of me that didn’t totally grasp onto that truth. I realized that deep down I don’t really believe that I have worth apart from my accomplishments. Perhaps it is because of our society’s emphasis on performance. Maybe it’s because that is how I have always earned favorable attention–through accomplishment.
So even though my head knows my worth is in being a dearly loved child of God and not in accomplishment and success, I see now that my heart hasn’t quite grasped that truth.
To counteract this faulty area in my heart, I am grasping onto God’s truth by memorizing some of God’s words of love.
I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with lovingkindness. Jeremiah 31:3
The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17
You are precious in My eyes, and honored, and I love you. Isaiah 43:4
Believe that God is head over heels in love with you. Live the truth that there is nothing you could do that would make Him love you more.
Next step: Pick your favorite verse about God’s love and memorize it or post it where you will see it often.