“He [God] is the one by whom we are ultimately hoping to be found, to be seen, soothed, and made safe and secure.”
Dr. Curt Thompson
Last week, we discovered that hearing God’s voice secures our healthy attachment to Him as we feel known by God. As He speaks, we are seen, soothed, safe, and find our security in Him. That process integrates the broken pieces of our hearts caused by trauma and sin and fuses them back together for us to become whole again. Emotional wholeness is a by-product when we sit still and listen to our heavenly Father’s voice.
I wonder if this is how we attain wholeheartedness toward God. Does hearing God’s voice and having a healthy attachment to God, cause us to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37)? Is it through the process of integration that we mature into our true selves, as our separative narratives are blended into a unified whole?
One of the other aspects of having a healthy attachment to God is likened to toddlers when they have a healthy attachment to their parents or caregivers. Toddlers who feel the security of their parents are likely to leave the room, knowing their parents won’t abandon them. Healthy attachment gives them what they need to venture out and try new things. Likewise, when we are attached to God and have Him as our home base, we feel more secure to take risks and obey what He’s asking us to do. We can rest assured our Father goes with us, in part because we carry Him with us wherever we go in our minds and hearts, as a toddler does with their parents, and because He promised He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).
Being intentional with listening to our Father’s whispers, not only provides us with a healthy attachment to God, but it also deepens our intimacy and trust in God and solidifies our identity in Him. After all, it is as we discover who God is that we discover who God created us to be and our true selves immerge. And that, my friend, points you in the direction of your God-given destiny, as destiny flows from your identity.
“Security is about being able, in the face of feeling seen, soothed, and safe, to move away from our relational base and step out to take the risk of new adventure.”
Dr. Curt Thompson
Relevant Reflections:
1. How has listening to God’s voice deepened your intimacy with God and revealed your identity?
2. Describe how having a healthy attachment to God has encouraged you to take risks, face your fears, and faithfully obey God.