Growth Is Not The Point

Here’s an excerpt from my new book,
Renegade: Your Faith Isn’t Meant To Be Safe.

We think our relationship with God is all about growth, don’t we? That’s what everyone talks about. “Are you growing spiritually?” “I don’t feel like I’m growing as a person.” “My relationship with God isn’t growing.” “I want to find a church that can help me grow.” The problem is, this kind of thinking leads us to a selfish version of Christianity and leaves us feeling empty and wondering what we’re missing. The question is not “How do I grow?” When you think about it, that’s actually a self-indulgent question, and God’s plan for our lives has never been about self-indulgence. It’s about love. Jesus said the two greatest things are loving God and loving people. The Cracker Jack surprise is that loving God and loving people happen to be what cause us to grow. But growth isn’t really the point—love is.