‘Do you want to change your sexual orientation?’
From True Freedom Trust
Having said that, the question “do you want to change your orientation?” remains, and it’s clearly an intensely personal one. But then God has a habit of asking each one of us personal questions about aspects of our lives that we prefer not to have to answer. My own response is a definite YES. I want to focus on changing my orientation towards God, towards myself and towards others.
Will my attraction towards women grow and the emotional need for affirmation from men diminish? It may or may not, but my contention is that it’s not the big issue. The debate about change in sexual orientation is a red herring. We have got caught in a mindset that concentrates on symptoms, of which same- sex attraction is one, rather than the deeper underlying emotional and psychological wounds and mindsets. As a result those of us who grapple with the daily difficulty of having feelings that we believe are very different from the majority can find ourselves with a sense of persistent shame about who we are. We can feel that we neither belong nor think that we can ever be fully accepted by our fellow believers. This may also be the experience of those who struggle with many types of seemingly persistent emotional pain resulting from abuse, loss, abandonment and childhood experiences etc.
In the midst of pain and a sense of being on the outside God welcomes us with open arms. He encourages us to experience more of his grace as we re-orient ourselves towards Him and His truth about who we really are.
Re-orientating myself towards God?
I need to remind myself that God is for me and not against me. In the midst of the pain that sometimes accompanies my same-sex attraction I can be assured that God has committed Himself to loving me. Through faith in Christ’s work I am forgiven and have new life. This is the greatest re-orientation any person can experience. So, God has truly demonstrated His love for me and I need to understand that He continues to do so day by day. He does not differentiate between me and other Christians because of my attraction towards men. There have been undoubtedly times in my life when I have been angry and frustrated with God and my situation but that is probably a normal Christian experience when faced with any type of personal suffering. I, like many believers, have asked where is God in the midst of the pain?
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
