Obstacles to Faith in Jesus

By Payton Dean, Originally written 12/20/2020

            When you attempt to have relationship with God, there may be some obstacles in your mind that try to get in the way of the lively relationship you desire. As people who have been influenced by the enemy’s tactics to prevent us from knowing God, my husband and I have become passionate about discussing the hope that is in Jesus Christ.

So, what has kept us from fully giving God access to our hearts? Religious culture. Fear. Peoples’ opinions.

I attended Christian school growing up. I was familiar with Scripture. Throughout my life, I found myself in seasons of striving, where I would place all my effort into following the Bible’s rules, and even some rules that I thought were Biblical. I’d listen to sermon after sermon, read spiritual literature thinking it was bringing me closer to Him; yet, I would sense that my relationship with God lacked flavor and intimacy. Sure, I was showing determination to follow rules, but at the end of the day, I couldn’t say I felt like I was being changed by a loving God. Instead of experiencing love, peace, and joy, I felt frustrated, became judgmental toward myself and others, and grew deeply frustrated with myself.

On the other hand, while I grew up in Christian school and “knew a lot” about the Bible, my husband had hardly any experience with it and was greatly intimidated by his lack of Biblical knowledge. Afraid of being publicly humiliated by people in the church, Ryan was apprehensive about even finding a church to attend at the beginning of our relationship. And forget a Bible study where he might have the opportunity to answer a question! Thankfully we found a great church family that shares the gospel and Ryan was able to see that it wasn’t as he had imagined.

Something my husband and I both relate to is fear of not being good enough. We both share times where we knew that we weren’t living “right” or to the standard that a Christian is supposed to live up to. Because of that, we thought God was waiting to embarrass us somehow or expose our bad parts openly in front of people if we came to Him.

I had even mistaken the voice in my head that was guilting me for everything I didn’t do right to be God. Have you ever done that? Assuming God was chronically disappointed in me, I felt helpless in ever being able to change to be good enough to go to Him, so sometimes I would just avoid Him until I’d done a few things to check off on the obedience list.

So, what did God show us? Oh, it’s good and I hope it relieves your soul!

There is a longer list of what we don’t have to have to come to God than what we do have to have. God is teaching us that we don’t have to bring any tools for Him to work with except our willingness to receive from Him. He doesn’t require immense knowledge of Bible stories, our proof of good deeds, accomplishments, or approval from other people (even in the church) in order to receive from Him. God is the one that gives us what we need to follow Him (2 Peter 1:3-4). The best thing we ever did was drop our assumptions of how God operates and let Him show us instead.

We believe God is asking us to be open to change perspective. Question what is being fed to us- even by Christian culture. For example, culture might tell you that if you want to go to Jesus, you had better fix yourself! That before you step foot in a church, you had better straighten your life up, do the religious activities and follow all the rules before coming to God to be acceptable. The thought that arose in me is.. If I really had the ability to fix myself on my own, I would have done it a long time ago! While God does desire that your life reflect obedience and produce good deeds, those qualities do not grow from your own willpower. We are changed the more we receive God’s love for us.. which requires our connection in relationship with Him. (John 15:4-5)

I believe God’s asking us to shift our focus from what other people “think”. Instead of esteeming peoples’ judgment of whether we are good enough for God, recognize His authority to welcome or reject us.. and exercise our own personal choice to welcome or reject God. After all, we will answer to God on judgment day, not to the people around us. Thank God that the people around us do not get to choose who God lets in our out!

One of the best things God has done for us is show us that His thoughts, opinions, and approval of us is not influenced by what other people think of us (1 Samuel 16:7). I’m glad He doesn’t fall for peer pressure.

God’s forgiveness of my wrongs, His love for me, and His willingness to speak or act in my life are totally separate from what other people think I deserve. One of my own weaknesses has been letting peoples’ opinion consume me and lead me to spiral down a mental path of guilt and shame. But God is asking us to stop living under the influence and fear of people, which will never bring us sanity or true “good-enoughness” and come receive His all accepting love, forgiveness, and cleansing instead. He is asking us to purposefully reject the voice that says “you don’t deserve to be in God’s holy presence” and respond with, “You’re right, but that’s why I’m glad Jesus died on the cross and rose again so I have access to His love.” Whether we believe we deserve it or not, God’s love and acceptance can be our reality if we want it. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

Contrary to what culture tries to push on people, because of the cross and Jesus’ resurrection, I don’t believe that God’s first line of vision is on what we have available to offer Him. As believers, He’s not focused on our wrongs, mistakes, lack of knowledge, or things we are embarrassed about. He knows we will never have what it takes, and that was the purpose in His dying and resurrection. While these things are not hidden from God and He desires to lead us to do things His way, I believe He first sees Himself and what good things He has to offer us; (Psalm 103:12; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 8:30)

God cares about us deeply and gladly welcomes us into relationship- whether that relationship looks like what He has with another person or not. When we aren’t in relationship with Him, we sense that something is missing and will by nature look elsewhere to fill that void and try to earn our acceptance, love, and worth from other people. Sometimes as believers we can forget and operate out of these same beliefs. It never satisfies us. That’s what is so great about the gospel- when are lives are centered around Jesus Christ and how much He loves us, our motive changes from us trying to secure love and worth for ourselves through people around us, to realizing we already have it and that we don’t have to work for it anymore.

  When we realize our inability to earn any of that—from both people AND God, we get rest for our souls.

Pray with me!

Lord, thank You for dying on the cross, taking my sin away, and making my spirit new. Help me to truly receive Your forgiveness and love. Help me to live from that truth. Bring me to stop trying to be good enough in any aspect, and help me surrender that to You. Help me to take on Your perspective of myself and others. Guide me in making You my focal point instead of allowing other people on that pedestal.