Following A Schizophrenic God

I was up at 5am this morning to get an early start on my day and decided to stop by a cafe for a quick breakfast and to do a little journaling and reading. These past couple of days I've been thumbing through a book entitled, A Glimpse of Jesus, written by Brennan Manning.

The book has got me thinking about my spiritual environment growing up and just how much influence that held in my perception and relationship (or lack therof) with Christ. And it's amazing how contrasting that is to the relationship I have with God now. It's really the difference between following a schizophrenic (sometimes happy/sometimes angry/sometimes ready to strike me dead because I cussed) God and following a God who loves me unconditionally to the very core of my being.

Growing up, my relationship with God was anything BUT secure - partly because I was never certain of where I stood in that relationship. In Manning's book, he quotes from a letter he received from a young person that really echoes my past to a large degree. Here's the quote:

"I got involved with a youth group at my church that made me fear my salvation and be afraid of God. It was a terrorist spirituality, and I decided that there was no point in going to church anymore."

Manning goes on to write this:
"The church, in all its structures and facets, should contribute to the resolution of self-hatred rather than write another chapter for the script."

I'm reminded this morning why I have such a passion within me to introduce people to a relationship with their Creator who loves them unconditionally, who accepts them just as they are and who desires to lead them in a journey that never ends and only gets richer over time.
If my children (whenever I have them) can grow up secure and confident in the love that their Father has for them, I will be thankful. If the people whom God has entrusted me to lead can join in on the journey of following a God who sees them not as they are - but who they have become because of Jesus - I will be thankful.