If we're honest, we all have mixed days. We have good days where it's easy to follow God, and bad days where we think, "God, I don't know if I can keep following you."

We are a jumbled mess of competing beliefs about God. We have stories of how He knew us, saw us, and pulled off miracles at just the right time. But we also have stories of tragedy, pain, and heartache that just don't make sense. These are times where we thought, "God, I think you messed up. Where were you?"

Because of this, there are three main ways we attach to people, and similarly, how we connect with God.

1. The Anxious Connection

"I’m worried I’m not good enough for my shepherd." When we attach anxiously, we feel like a bad sheep. We think, I make mistakes. I sin. Others are better than me. I have to earn it. We are always scared of being rejected or left behind by our shepherd. Maybe someone told you you aren't as good as other Christians, or maybe Satan has whispered that lie in your heart for so long that you kept believing it.

2. The Avoidant Connection

"My shepherd isn’t good enough for me." This happens when we suffer hurt or loss. We ask, God, where were you when that health crisis hit? When my family member was dying? When my job disappeared? For one reason or another, we learned a false, counterfeit message: God isn't taking care of me, so I have to take care of myself. I have to do it my own way.

3. The Fearful Connection

"I’m scared of my shepherd." When we've been hurt, used, or abused by people in authority, we don't want anything to do with someone being "in charge" of us. We worry that people with plans for us only have bad plans. We fear that God is out to get us or just wants to punish us, and we can't bring ourselves to think of Him any other way.

Jesus is Still the Answer

We start where we're at. We don't have to try to impress God, because He already knows where we're at. He knows we are prone to wander.

So, He sent Jesus. Jesus says, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."

  • If you’re worried that you're not good enough, it’s okay to not be good enough. Jesus didn't come because you were good enough. He came because you needed Him. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

  • If you’re worried your shepherd isn't good enough for you, He laid down His life for you. There is no greater love than that. He dealt with the biggest problems of sin and death, and He has a plan for you today.

  • If you're scared of your shepherd, bring it to Him. That is a conversation to have with Him slowly over time, letting Him show you what He is really like.

None of these are quick fixes. This is a lifelong journey of learning to trust our Good Shepherd. There will be seasons where we run away or fall back into old patterns, but God will slowly bring us back in a way that is tender, gentle, and full of mercy.