From Head Knowledge to Heart Trust
Ryan Stevenson’s Identity Discovery
When you think of Ryan Stevenson, you might recall his chart-topping song “Eye of the Storm,” which has touched so many hearts. But beyond the music, Ryan’s journey of faith speaks to the need each of us have to understand our own identity in Christ, which he shared with us.
In recent years Ryan has experienced a true wilderness season, pushing him to seek a deeper relationship with God. He says, “I think for me, being a kid who grew up in church, grew up in religion and now in my 40s. Now, this [past] season has been the catalyst for that wilderness.”
One of the most transformative revelations for Ryan has been understanding God as “ABBA, Father.” He describes it as the best gift he’s ever received from the Lord. “For me, that’s what’s unsettled in my life. If I’m being honest, it’s not knowing God. It’s going from knowing God’s resume and His accolades to knowing, ‘You’re my dad, and I’m your son.’”
Ryan references 2 Corinthians that says, “We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:20-21 NKJV).
Trusting God Amidst Uncertainty
Transitioning from head knowledge to heart trust is a significant challenge. Ryan reflects, “When God gets you face to face, alone, and begins that process of establishing you in your beloved identity, it’s quite a process, like how willing am I to absolutely trust God when it feels so hard, hopeless, empty, and uncertain?”
In moments of uncertainty, that’s where your faith is tested and strengthened.
Building trust in God requires spending time with Him. Ryan shared, “That’s the tension in me these days is just trusting Him in the uncertainty,” emphasizing that trust grows through consistent communion with God.
Identity in Christ and the Painful Process
Understanding one’s identity in Christ is a journey marked by pain and growth. Ryan explains, “I feel like getting there is painful and incremental…The Bible calls Jesus a gardener. He pinches the buds; He prunes the vines. And I just think sometimes, you’re not bearing fruit. He’s clipping on you. And it’s not necessarily fun and it’s exposing. It’s embarrassing sometimes. And, I think exposure is severe mercy, and it’s essential to our healing. There’s no other way around…learning who we are.”
The pruning process, though painful, is essential for spiritual maturity.
Getting Off the Performance Treadmill
“Everything we do in life is a secondary consequence of knowing who we are,” Ryan continues. “If we don’t know who we are, we’re always going to be working really hard all the time to protect our image. We’re going to be working really hard all the time to keep a lot of secrets. We’re going to be walking that tightrope always trying to balance His anger, His love, and the law and grace. It’s tormenting.”
Ryan says, “I don’t think we were designed to live that way.”
Many believers struggle with performance-based faith, constantly striving to maintain an image. Ryan encourages, “I would just say to anybody, because I’m learning—you can get off of that treadmill of performance and rest. We only trust somebody to the degree we think they’re good. And we don’t believe somebody is good that we ultimately don’t trust.”
Embracing God’s goodness allows us to rest in His love.
God’s Goodness and Loving Judgment
Ryan shares a profound insight about God’s judgments, “A favorite pastor of mine said, ‘All of God’s judgments are aimed at anything that interferes with His love in our lives and through the lens of a dad.’”
Seeing God through the lens of a loving father changes everything, especially when we understand that His judgments are motivated by love. Ryan admits, “I didn’t understand this until I had kids, but now that I have kids, I just see it so clearly on my kids. On the worst day, they’re still the love of my life….And I just think that’s the exact same way that God feels about us.”
May you find inspiration to seek a deeper relationship with your heavenly Father, trusting in His goodness and love.
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