By Russell Thornberry
When I was editor of Buckmasters Whitetail Magazine a well known hunter broke some serious game laws and was caught red handed. Overnight that man whom the hunting public had previously adored, turned on him with a vengeance. The same audience who had adored the man one minute wanted him crucified the next. It illustrated the fickle and unforgiving nature of the human heart. In terms of the law, justice was being served, and the penalty was certainly justified. It was the end of the man’s career in the outdoor world.
While I certainly recognized that the man had broken the law and was deserving of the ensuing calamity that befell him, I felt sorry for him. He was being driven by his need for more adoration for his ability to harvest record book deer. More adoration would subsequently result in more sales of his hunting related products, etc. etc. He allowed himself to get caught in that dangerous trap and he paid dearly for it.
I spent a great deal of my younger life ensnared by insecurity, believing that I was only as valuable as my accomplishments. The problem was that no degree of accomplishment, no matter how significant, ever made me feel any better about myself. Though I gained public accolades, inside I was still the same desperate, insecure man. Satan knew that as long as he could keep me chasing my significance as defined only by my accomplishments, that eventually I would be destroyed. And he was right. My world came crashing down on me and I was more insecure than ever.
At that point I cried out to God and asked him to save me from myself, from life, from everything. He heard my cry and did all that I had asked and much more. Through that process I encountered God’s unconditional love for me personally. For the first time in my life I realized that my accomplishments did not define me, but that Jesus’ accomplishments did. I experienced peace for the first time in my life and realized what it meant to know the love of God. It changed everything and I emerged a different person, healed of my insecurities that had driven me for so long. Finally I could approach life from a healed perspective, knowing that no matter what happened, I could rest in the eternal peace and unconditional love of the ultimate father.
I sometimes wonder if the man I mentioned earlier was like I was – desperately insecure – needing to do more than enough so that he could find his significance. That’s why I felt sorry for him. I had already proven to myself that no personal accomplishment could ever put out the fire of personal insecurity or insignificance. Only the love of God can do that. What brings you significance? What happens if you lose it? What happens if you gain it? Will it bring you inner peace and enduring confidence? I can answer that – the answer is ultimately “NO.” Beware of the counterfeit -- only the love of God can do that!
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