GUEST BLOGGER: Dave Clark (Prophet/Mystic/Cajun)

This is the first in a series of regular guest blog posts from my friend Dave Clark.  No editing.  No disclaimer.  - Gene

Recently, Pastor Gene spoke in church and said something like “I love you gay person (or struggler with pornography or alcoholic, or whatever), not because I hope you one day won’t be gay, but because I love you”. In doing so he truly represented the heart of God. This understanding is vital because we must come to know in our innermost heart that God is saying; “I love you person who ____________ (fill in the blank with your own particular torment), not because I hope you one day won’t do that but simply because I love you”. 

In this world everything is ‘performance based’. If you want to do well, study hard. If you want to get paid well, work hard. You see, money is the medium the employer uses to tell you how much she “loves” you. And in our real life love is most often doled out the same way. “I will love you – if you do this or if you don’t do that or if you meet this need of mine.” It goes on forever. And always in our deepest self we think, “If you knew the real me, you wouldn’t love me”. But God already knows the real you. 

Now to my point: I have prayed and anguished so often, ‘Lord, deliver me from_________________’. You have too. We long for: “Victory In Jesus ♪”. And he wants it for us as well. But he wants something even more. He craves for us to know as settled fact deep in our spirit that we are loved now, before we are delivered from whatever plagues us. But some of the things that debilitate us could bring deep shame to us and disrepute to the church if they were exposed. Just look at church scandals. But still, your knowing you are loved is of greater value to him than his (or your) reputation. He has already suffered the shame of the cross. (To get a handle on that, think – What if the faith began in this day? The symbol for it might well be an electric chair instead of a cross.) What else can your shame do to him? God has chosen to suffer for us and with us. That is what real love is. 

I am convinced I will never be fully delivered from my deepest evils until I truly believe with all that is in me that I am loved just like I am. Only then can I be of any use to him…or to you.