Bring It All

I believe a lot of Christians approach faith as an intellectual exercise. This may be particularly true of those in Reformed traditions where having correct theology and being able to defend our beliefs has been elevated to the capstone of life. Seminaries often feed into this perception and can lead pastors to intellectualize their preaching and teaching. Certainly we want pastors who can study and faithfully interpret Scripture, but correct theology is not necessarily life-transforming.

I know I have fallen into this trap quite often. Some of us have personality traits and family origins that are more prone to this. I value and pursue knowledge of many different subjects, Scripture included. At the same time, a lot of the Christian authors I’ve read have implied that emotions are meant to be ignored. “Just preach the truth to yourself and your emotions will fall into line.” There may be a kernel of truth to that, but I’ve rarely found it to be that clear cut. Part of the difficulty comes from not knowing what I’m feeling or why I feel that way to begin with. It’s hard to come up with relevant biblical truth if I don’t know what wounds or misconceptions need to be addressed. I’ve slowly learned that simply trying to suppress the troubling thoughts or feelings doesn’t really solve anything. They still live to fight another day. “Denying yourself” doesn’t mean ignoring what’s going on inside.

Jesus invited us, “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). But if we are trying to deny our burdens, we may not even realize that we are in need of rest. It was prophesied that Jesus would be “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief… Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” (Is. 53:3-4). He never said “What you are feeling is irrelevant, just trust Me,” but He did remind the disciples that suffering would not last forever.

Even the great apostle Paul wrote at different times, “I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart” (Rom. 9:1), and “we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself” (2 Cor. 1:8). He didn’t downplay his difficulties, and he didn’t ask the churches to pray that he wouldn’t feel this way. He was able to say instead, “we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Rom. 5:3-5). He acknowledged the pain while still clinging to God in faith.

How then does this impact our approach to faith? First, we need to remember that we can bring our true selves to God. He doesn’t expect us to sanitize our thoughts and come with heads held high and smiles on our faces. He knows where we struggle even better than we know ourselves. We can drag our broken bodies and wounded hearts to Him at any and all times.

Second and very practically, rather than pursuing prayer and Bible reading as an academic exercise, sometimes (or perhaps often) we can take time to examine our hearts and see what things are currently causing anxiety, sorrow, anger, and uncertainty. Then we can go to God with whatever our greatest concerns are right now. I think we often miss out on experiencing God’s love and grace because we don’t actually take all our burdens to Him.

The practice of self-examination goes back many centuries, and is not some kind of new age mysticism. Scripture tells us to examine ourselves preceding communion (1 Cor. 11:28), but it’s certainly not limited to that time or to issues of sin. Jesus said, “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life” (Luke 21:34a emphasis added). This kind of self-awareness is not selfish, but living humbly and authentically before our Lord and Savior. Since Jesus welcomed the little children with their unhindered and vibrant emotions (Matt. 19:14), how could He not embrace all of us the same way?

“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never cast out” (John 6:37).

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink” (John 7:37).

(These thoughts have been greatly influenced by things I’ve heard and read recently from Steve Cuss, Alasdair Groves, and Chuck DeGroat.)

© 2025 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Who Is Sufficient?

Recently I was listening to a podcast, which shall remain nameless, on the subject of counseling and mental disorders. They pretty much denigrated psychology and psychotherapy and repeatedly said, “Scripture is sufficient.” Many people in the realm of “biblical counseling” grab onto the idea of the sufficiency of Scripture in a way that was not intended by the authors of most creeds. The Westminster Shorter Catechism states, “The Scriptures principally teach, what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.” Carl Trueman comments:

“In other words, the Scriptures are sufficient for a specific task: they reveal who God is, who man is in relation to him, and how that relationship is to be articulated in terms of worship. Even with this definition, however, we need to be precise concerning the nature of this sufficiency. In some areas, the Scriptures are sufficient for teaching principles but not for providing specific details.”

Don’t get me wrong, I believe there is a lot in Scripture that is helpful and encouraging for those suffering with depression, anxiety, or other mental illnesses. We should certainly do things like encourage our brothers and sisters in the faith, pray for one another, confess our sins, care for those in need, and so on, just as Scripture says. But Scripture doesn’t have a clear answer for things like:

• Should I take psychiatric medications?
• Should I allow my child to be admitted to the psych ward?
• Who can best help me to work through childhood trauma?

While I believe that the local church should be a place where all the biblical “one another” commands are practiced, I don’t believe that most churches or pastors are equipped to provide in-depth mental health counseling. The average church is 70 people, and there are limits to both our time and our training. Mental illness encapsulates a wide variety of experiences and needs that can escalate very quickly beyond the abilities of a church pastor.

We also need to remember that the Body of Christ is much larger than our local congregation. There are many well-qualified Christian counselors working in public and private counseling agencies for either in-person or online options. The ones I’ve worked with have known Scripture well and they aren’t afraid to include it when appropriate, but they also know what questions to ask and what advice to give for specific struggles. They go far beyond “Here’s a verse and a prayer.” I would say that Christians should always seek counselors who are also Christian because our worldview is important to us. But they don’t have to be members of the same church or denomination.

For those in church leadership, I make the following suggestions:

1) Learn the difference between “biblical counseling” and “Christian counseling”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBmyDw7BGfs

2) Know when to refer to counseling professionals, who is available in your area, and what affiliations they may have with credentialing organizations.

3) If there are diagnosable psychiatric conditions as determined by medical professionals, it’s probably best to refer to outside counselors. Although the DSM is not infallible or exhaustive, it does include a lot of very serious information about potential problems.

From my own experience, I can say that finding a counselor you feel comfortable with is one of the biggest factors contributing to health and growth. I’ve met a couple counselors who seemed to have their own agendas and didn’t really listen to me. I quickly stopped going to them, and it took me a long time to risk reaching out to someone new. But I’ve had others (one past and one present) that I’ve enjoyed meeting with regularly, and I’m grateful to count them as brothers in Christ. I thoroughly believe that God has gifted them with the wisdom, training, and interpersonal skills needed to minister to people through ongoing counseling. That is not a skill set that all pastors have, and I suspect that if pastors do have counseling gifts they will probably not be satisfied to be preparing sermons instead.

“For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them…” (Rom. 12:4-6).

“Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Cor. 3:5-6).

© 2025 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Says Who?

Lately I’ve been delving into one of my side interests—psychology. (When I was finishing college and trying to decide what to do next, I was accepted for the Masters in Counseling program at Denver Seminary before I decided to go to Wheaton instead. God had different plans for me.) I’ve been watching a number of videos from Steve Cuss on CapableLife.com, including some about our inner critics. I don’t know about you, but I have a loud inner critic. He tells me often that I’m not good enough, not smart enough, and that I better keep my mouth shut so other people don’t find out I’m an imposter and I don’t belong here. (Even now I’m arguing with the voice that’s telling me “Real writers don’t wait a month between blog posts!”)

Steve wisely points out that we need to compare the voice of our inner critic with the truth of God’s Word in order to ignore the lies. Mark Batterson puts it well in A Million Little Miracles:

Shame says, “I am a mistake.”
God says, “You are My workmanship.”
Shame says, “I am unworthy.”
God says “You are worth the cross.”
Shame says, “I am not enough.”
God says, “You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.”
Shame says, “I am an accident.”
God says, “You are fearfully and wonderfully made.”
Shame says, “I am unlovable.”
God says, “You are My beloved.”
Shame says, “I am insignificant.”
God says, “You are the apple of My eye.” (184)

The inner critic, judge, shame—whatever name you want to call the enemy of our soul—tries to convince us that God wants nothing to do with us unless we can achieve perfection on our own, which is a futile effort. Paul reminds us in Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” We don’t make ourselves acceptable. God first chose us, loved us, redeemed us, and adopted us into His family, all long before we even thought of how we might perform to try to win His approval.

I should note as well that God’s opinion of us should matter far more than the opinions of man, but we can often be sidelined by the fear of what others think. We all want to be loved and accepted, but every one of us has different standards, so pleasing everyone is doomed from the start. But our Creator gives us far more grace than we can even begin to imagine.

Steve Cuss asks a question that I’ve been thinking about a lot. “What if I were at least as ___ to myself as God is?” What would be different if I were as gracious, loving, and forgiving of myself as God is? I have no doubt the result would be less anxiety and more joy. I may not get there very quickly, and my inner critic is not likely to quit work, but he doesn’t have to have the final word.

“By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before Him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and He knows everything” (1 John 3:19-20).

© 2025 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Walking in Darkness

The Gospel of John begins by declaring about Jesus “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it… The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world” (John 1:5, 9). And when Jesus began His ministry He repeated Isaiah’s prophecy “The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned” (Matthew 4:16).

Thinking back to that first Christmas, some shepherds in a field were alerted as “An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear... And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God...” (Luke 2:9, 13). They probably remembered and talked about that glorious light many times after that night. And yet only a few shepherds had that experience. The whole town of Bethlehem didn’t show up at the stable to find out what was going on. Most of the people didn’t really know what had happened, even if they were living in hope of the coming Messiah. Jesus could have arrived in great pomp and circumstance so that people had to take notice and respond. But instead He came in the humility of a small-town stable with just a few witnesses.

Then there were the magi. They saw a star in the sky that meant something to them and caused them to seek the reason it had appeared. But nobody else noticed or cared enough to search for the new King. So it doesn’t seem that the star was so big and bright that it demanded attention.

The One who claimed to be the Light of the World (John 8:12) actually slipped into the darkness almost unnoticed. He certainly brought spiritual light and life in undeniable ways, and has been enlightening lives throughout the centuries. But this world still seems awfully dark most of the time. Rather than the unmistakable light of our sun, it can seem more like a distant star barely visible in the night. There is still rampant sin, brokenness, and darkness all around us. We suffer physically, mentally, and emotionally, and we look for relief and release from the darkness.

As those who have faith in Jesus, we look forward with hope to that final Day when He will indeed come in great glory and every eye will see Him (Rev. 1:7). Then we will fully see the promised Light and the new creation where, “They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light and they will reign forever and ever” (Rev. 22:5).

Until that day, we endeavor to “walk in the light, as He is in the light,” in fellowship with one another and trusting in His cleansing us from sin (1 John 1:7). When the darkness seems overwhelming, let us remind one another of the Light that has been promised and will soon return— maybe today.

“Because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:78-79).

© 2024 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Come Unto Me

“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food” (Isaiah 55:1-2).

You invite us to come just as we are.
There’s nothing we need to bring.
Our best efforts are filthy rags,
You provide everything.

You invite us to come with empty hands.
Come and drink and eat.
Partake of Christ, the Bread of Life,
and Living Water for free.

You invite us to come with all our sin,
and lay it down at the cross.
Leaving it there in His nail-scarred hands,
and donning His righteousness.

You invite us to come as daughters and sons,
fully part of Your family.
We’re accepted in the Beloved One.
Once bound, but now set free.

You invite us to come for every good gift,
sent down from our Father above.
All we truly need for life,
given to us by Your love.

You invite us to come, letting go of all else,
everything that does not satisfy.
Humbly receiving Your perfect gift
of eternal life with Christ.

Lord, may we be quick to turn to You and receive all that You graciously give, forsaking all else, and clinging to You alone!

See also: Isaiah 61:10, 64:6; John 4:10, 6:35, 7:38; Ephesians 1:6; James 1:17; 2 Peter 1:3

© 2024 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Not Done Yet

“But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:4 HCSB).

This verse caught my attention recently, perhaps because I was reading it in a different translation than I usually use. I think I’ve typically paid more attention to verses 2-3: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” But it’s verse 4 that points out the end goal.

We don’t endure simply for the sake of learning endurance, but so that we may reach maturity. But here’s the rub: we aren’t the ones who get to determine when maturity has been completed. The Apostle Paul, in one of my favorite verses, states, “I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6). God not only sets the standard for perfection in our lives, but He’s also the one who will bring it about at the end of time. So long as we live in this fallen world with these broken bodies, we’ll have to keep enduring a variety of trials and struggles. And as we endure in Christ, we’re slowly being conformed to His image.

It’s possible to endure in ways that don’t lead toward maturity. Some people may be quick to tell you all that they are putting up with, but there is little evidence of the fruit of the Spirit growing in their lives. Enduring in your own strength can look like just gritting your teeth and holding on with all your might. But enduring with Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit brings peace in the midst of the storm, humbly trusting that God will sustain you as long as necessary. That kind of calm assurance comes with the maturing process.

Now that I can’t avoid the fact that I’m middle-aged, I generally consider myself to be pretty mature in most areas of life. But I’ve also been realizing areas where I’m still relying on false narratives I learned as a child. Looking back, I can see ways that I have matured over many years, but I know I still have much to learn to be truly mature and complete.

In an episode of the Being Human podcast that I listened to this week, the comment was made that in the Christian life suffering is a feature and not a bug. We tend to think that if we could just reprogram some part of our brains then we wouldn’t have to deal with suffering, as if endurance is simply one lesson we need to learn and then we’re done with it. If our Savior endured suffering, why do we think we should be exempt? We are to follow in His steps, even when it includes suffering (1 Pet. 2:21).

Just as little children need to mature by learning that they can’t always get what they want, we too need to remember that things won’t always go our way or be easy and pleasant. This world can’t satisfy all our desires, but it makes us long for the perfect life that is yet to come. When that day comes, then we’ll be mature enough to enjoy it as God intends.

“As for [the seed that] fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience [endurance]” (Luke 8:14-15).

© 2024 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Run Your Race

Steve Cuss hosts the “Being Human” podcast with Christianity Today, and he’s also recently published The Expectation Gap: The Tiny, Vast Space between Our Beliefs & Experience of God. It is thought-provoking reading. In chapter 7 he addresses some of our faulty assumptions about our progress in our faith. He writes:

“ASSUMPTION: We read these Bible stories multiple times and forget that many of these experiences happened only once to a particular person. We carry the pressure to live out that one story in our lives all the time. REALITY: Seeing these stories as points in time rather than for all time can help us relax into human-sized expectation…

“ASSUMPTION: One week we need to be like Peter. The next week we need to be like Mary. It all depends on what story we are reading that week. REALITY: Peter was pretty much always like Peter. Mary was very Maryesque. You are you, and I am me. We will get further in our faith if we accept our humanity than if we always strive to be someone or something we can never be… Over time, we end up stacking all of these people with all of their unique traits and examples into one fictional super-disciple that none of us will ever be and, frankly, none of them were either.”

You’ve probably experienced something like that. We hear a sermon about Mary and Martha and we think we need to spend all our time sitting at Jesus’s feet in devotion. Yet if we all did that we’d miss a lot of meals! We think we need to be like Peter when he preached fearlessly, yet there were also a number of times he stuck his foot in his mouth and once when he needed a life vest. Each of Jesus’s followers had their ups and downs, and we are no different.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in Discipleship:

“Scripture does not present us with a collection of Christian types to be imitated according to our own choice. Rather, in every passage it proclaims to us the one Jesus Christ. It is him alone whom I ought to hear. He is one and the same everywhere” (Reader’s edition, ch. 8).

I’m reminded of the old song “Dare to Be a Daniel.” While it is true we all need courage to stand firm in our faith, we don’t need to be another Daniel or Noah or Moses. God already used them for His purposes in their own time. (Incidentally, when I was on the last hymnal committee for my denomination, I strongly suggested that Rahab should not be included in the list of possible names to use in that song, as she was in one hymnal.)

What we need is not another Billy Graham. We simply need each believer to faithfully follow our Lord’s leading in whatever path He sets before us: pastor, teacher, missionary, spouse, parent, manager, employee, author, artist, accountant, secretary, mechanic, or any other role you may have.

This subject recurs in my writing occasionally, and that’s probably because I’ve spent so much of my life trying to be someone I’m not. God has to remind me periodically that I am exactly who He made me to be, and He never expects me to be someone else. With that I will be content (at least until the next time I get distracted).

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [from Bible times till now], let us also lay aside every weight [and false assumptions], and sin which clings to closely, and let us [each] run with endurance the race that is set before us [not someone else’s race]” (Heb. 12:1).

© 2024 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.