I was thinking recently on God's love versus my wretchedness. Why versus? Because of a phenomenon I've witnessed, and struggled with, in various churches.
Some churches, I've noticed, focus more on the fact that God loves them over how wretched we are. It's not that these churches don't recognize the human condition and our sinful natures. But if I were to create a spectrum of faith focus, with God's love being one end and our sinfulness being the other end, these churches would lie at a 60/40 or 80/20 split towards the God's love end.
While other churches focus more on our sinfulness. On the spectrum I created they would lie at a similar (60/40 or 80/20) split but toward the our sinfulness end. As with the other type of churches it's not that these churches only focus on how wretched we are. The response to recognizing our wretchedness is to then recognize how merciful and loving God is.
But it's all in the balance - how much time of your thoughts and subsequent words and actions revolve around us being wretched, sinful people, and how much revolve around God loving us and wanting to have a relationship with us?
Sole focus on my being loved and accepted by God can possibly cause me to lose sight of how I actually am unworthy of salvation. That is, I have done nothing of my own merit to deserve salvation. But sole focus on my sinfulness can possibly lead to missing out on the joy and abundant life God wants me to experience through relationship with Him. After all, Jesus considered (and considers) me worthy enough to die for me. And I am made in the image of God, even if that image has been tarred because of sin.
Maybe I've created a split and thus food for thought where no such tension actually exists. Or maybe the body of Christ in general hasn't got this all figured out yet.
My perspective on this is coming from one who grew up not feeling fully affirmed and loved. And for someone who struggles with those types of vulnerabilities, a church that focuses more on God's love is like rain to the man who has just crossed the Sahara Desert. Conversely a church that focuses more on our wretchedness is like adding fuel to the fire of those inner insecurities.
DH
