Our guest today on the Everyday Faith Podcast is Dean Goosen, a husband, father to seven children, a minister, and founder of Awakening Hope Ministries. You may remember him from our interview, where we discussed our first pillar as a ministry: why belief in God is so important. Here at the Everyday Faith Podcast, we believe you can live out your faith every day by starting with belief, embracing your mission, committing to obedience, and pursuing community. Today, we’re going to learn more about God’s love for you, how to share His love with others, and how you can embrace the joy in following Jesus every day.
Growing Up in the Love of God
Dean grew up in a household that loved God and went to church often. His father was even a pastor in their community. Because he lived high up in the mountains of Colorado, Dean and his siblings were homeschooled because they lived too far away to attend a public school.
When Dean was 14, he remembers sitting in his room, reading his Bible, and wrestling with the thought of, “What if my parents are wrong? What if I die and find out another religion is right?” The sudden thoughts were scary and unnerving to Dean. Thankfully, Dean felt the Holy Spirit come alongside him in that moment and give him faith to explore.
“The faith that is the truth can be tested, and it can take the test.” - Dean Goosen
So, Dean started studying Buddhism, Hinduism, and other religions. All of the religions couldn’t be true; Dean knew there could only be one truth. At the end of his study, he found that all the other religions and philosophies began to contradict each other. And, given that truth is objective, Dean knew the truth couldn’t contradict itself.
Through studying apologetics and the history of the Bible, Dean discovered unbelievable proof for Christianity, and this certainty brought his faith to a whole new level. Even though he was already saved and grew up in a household that had the love of God, he now claimed his faith as his own and followed Jesus wholeheartedly.
Have you received Jesus as Lord over your life? If not, today is the day! Receiving Jesus into your heart is super simple. To pray the prayer of salvation and learn more about what Jesus really did for you, head over to our blog: This is For You
God Loves You, Because He Loves You
The more you learn about Jesus, the more you’ll find His love is out of this world! Jesus loves you because He loves you. Good parents love their kids, and if they were asked by their child, “Why do you love me?”, they might find it difficult to answer. Good parents just love their kids! The same goes for God.
Even when we make mistakes and even when we mess up, God still loves us. There is nothing we can do to earn God’s love or make Him love us more. He loves us because He loves us. As you read Bible verses about the love of God, your perspective towards yourself will change.
Read more about God’s love for you in our blog: You Are Valuable to God
How to Apply the Golden Rule to Your Life
After Dean surrendered his life to Jesus, he began to share the love of God with others and live by the Golden Rule. In Mathew 22, we hear about how to apply the Golden Rule to our lives:
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. - Matthew 22:37-39
This Bible verse about God's love shows us that when we love God, we have capacity to love others. Jesus loves people so much, and it’s a choice to love others like Jesus loves. When Jesus walked the earth, we see that there were times when His personal desire conflicted with the will of the Father. Things like going to the cross. Jesus knew the agony and pain He’d experience on the cross, but He prayed, “Not my will, but yours be done.” So, Jesus was always surrendering his desire to the will of the Father, even when there was a conflict.
Now, we get the same choice and have the same decision to make. Sometimes our desires will conflict with the will of God. But as we learn to love others like Jesus, we have the chance to pray, “Not my will, but yours be done.”
How Can I Love My Neighbor, If I Don’t Love Myself?
Sometimes, we can have a poverty mindset when it comes to love. We rationalize that if we neglect loving ourselves, we’re making more space to love God more. Jesus loved the Lord with all His heart, mind, and strength, and He knew what He needed. When he needed moments alone, He would go away to be with the Father to pray (Matthew 14:23).
Self-love isn’t bubble baths and spa days, it’s honoring God by taking care of your body, your soul, and your emotions. You know what doesn’t have room in this equation? Self-hatred. If we want to become more Christ-like, there is no room for self-hatred. How can you hate what God created? He knit you together in your mother’s womb! He even says that you are fearfully and wonderfully made! Psalm 139 is full of Bible passages on God’s love to help you encounter Jesus and His faithful love.
How to Receive the Love of God in Every Season
Did you know you can connect with Jesus in busy times, in slow times, in sad times, and in happy times? Because God is invisible, sometimes it can feel hard to connect with Him. Thankfully, during our interview with Dean, he shared some ways that he connects with God and receives the love of God in every season.
1. Read the Bible…even if you don’t feel like it: Reading or listening to the Bible, even when you’d rather do something else, is essential to receiving the love of God and staying connected to Him. Our desire for the Bible changes depending on our mood, schedule, and things that happened that day. However, you’ll never regret taking a few minutes to pause, slow down, and read some scriptures about God’s love for you.
2. Remember that God wants to connect with you, too: Sometimes in our walk with God, we think that our relationship is one-sided. Like, we have to stay connected to God or else. If you think about the Bible like God’s love letter to you, it changes your perspective. Through Bible reading and prayer, you’ll be able to see that God loves you and wants to connect with you, too!
Not sure where to start with prayer? No worries! Download our free e-book to learn more about prayer: Let’s Talk About Prayer: Simple Steps to Connect with God
3. Avoid quick dopamine hits: We live in a world of fast-paced, fast-food, and fast-entertainment. God is way more patient and thorough than us. By choosing to pause on quick dopamine hits like scrolling YouTube, Instagram, or Facebook, you’ll find time with God more enjoyable, and you’ll feel even more connected.
4. Remember, if you seek Him, you will find Him: The Bible assures us that when we seek Him, we find Him and that when we draw near to God, He will draw near to us (Matthew 7:7-12, James 4:8).
Conclusion
As you can see, it’s clear that God’s love isn't a distant idea; it’s a tangible reality. God wants to show you His love through the Bible, through prayer, and even through nature. Dean’s journey reminds us that exploring our faith, asking hard questions, and leaning into scripture actually deepens our love for Jesus and helps us to connect with Him. This week, we encourage you to listen to our full podcast with Dean Goosen and take some time to read Bible verses about God’s love for you.
