Delight in God

I have been blessed time and time again when I have interacted with my good friend, Floyd McClung. He is the sort of man I cannot help but admire. Despite his towering presence he is a man for gentle humility and deep a love for God and for people.

Recently, Roxy and I have been reading through his book, Following Jesus (published as Follow in the US). And we have been struck by the beauty and simplicity of Floyd’s message. In this section he speaks about the influence that one of his college professors had on his life.

One day, at the end of one of our classes, he did his usual routine of standing and pleading with us to be men and women of faith who would change the world. On that day he spoke about the difference between rules/religion and God’s love. He told us the difference between doing things because we wanted people to think we were good, and living our lives genuinely from the heart. I saw in that moment,that up to that point I had lived all my life performing in order to please people; but that was not what God wanted from me, nor did it somehow persuade God to love me. My professor beseeched us to be free from religion and alive with the grace and love of God. It was as if a light went on in my heart. In my inner person, I agreed, and in that agreement, a transaction took place. I walked out of the class a free man. I realized that I had been taught most of my life that devotion was duty to God, not delight in God. I quietly decided to live for delight, not duty.

As a result of the inner transaction that took place that day, the weight of religion/rules rolled off me like a heavy backpack falling to the ground. Religion had been a weight on my shoulders pushing me down — and it was gone. Who took it and how it was lifted off I wasn’t sure, but it was gone. I felt free. I knew from that moment on that I didn’t need to do anything, indeed could not do anything, to make God love me. I found a new freedom to love God simply because He loved me first.

I realized that I didn’t have to do things to earn God’s love. I felt light, free and full of hope. Since that day, I have lived in the freedom of a man unshackled from prison chains. I live like an orphan who has been adopted into a loving family. I feel like I have won the lottery. I feel fully human, alive and set free to enjoy God’s beauty. I don’t feel that I have to do things to gain the approval of people or of God. I now wake up every day with a deep sense of God’s love and acceptance. I don’t feel alone. I know I belong to God. Being loved by God is incredible. Accepting His love and forgiveness is my response to that incredible love. Loving God begins with that special discovery that He created us for intimacy and friendship with Him. It is accompanied with a longing to live life to the fullest; to see and taste and hear all life has for us. God has adventure waiting for us, beauty to share with us, dreams, and purpose, and security, and significance to give to us.

Do yourself a favour and buy the book.

You can also follow Floyd and Sally on their blog.