Does God Love Me Just As I Am? Yes...But That's Not The End

A Divine Debate That Changes Everything

On a recent trip to Marfa, Texas, I captured an image of what I can only describe as a "Rat-Bug"—a rusted VW Beetle shell with welded rat ears and whiskers, perched atop a broken-down trailer in far West Texas. I don't know what the artist officially calls this metal sculpture, but it made me laugh... and then think deeply.

As I stared at this whimsical creation, I began to see "Rat-Bug" as a metaphor for my own spiritually broken-down condition. Yes, I was unique—just as you are—an amalgamation of education and experiences from countless sources.

Sometimes we resemble the classic VW Bug, and other times we're more like the scrappy rat. Despite this crazy fusion of similar and dissimilar parts, we somehow come together into a unified, albeit not always pretty, whole.

And I wondered: Does God see me the same way? Does He look at us, shake His head with pity, and say, "You are a Rat-Bug, whimsically welded together and left to rust in West Texas... and I love you just as you are"?

The "Rat-Bug" Awakening

My Own Rat-Bug Moment

I remember one of my most vivid rat-bug moments: I was recently out of the military. The career I thought I had was gone. My belief in our country and elected officials—gone. My marriage was dissolving faster than the rat-bug sculpture itself. I was drinking, losing faith in some idyllic image of a God whose existence I questioned. I questioned my own existence, my meaning and purpose, my reason for living.

When I could no longer justify my rat-bug existence, the possibility of ending it all became a legitimate option. I borrowed my mother's small motorhome, went out into the Nevada desert, and became close friends with Jack Daniels. If I awoke with the same bottomless pit of emptiness, my .38 and JD would end my suffering.

But I awoke on that small outcrop of rocks where I had settled the night before. I opened my eyes and saw the most brilliant colors—a natural bouquet of flowers right there in front of me in the desert. The colors were almost fluorescent: yellow, orange, red, and purple. But these didn't just look different—they felt different. The sky was a perfect blue. The pit of depression was gone.

I felt God's presence. He didn't say a thing. I just felt He loved me—in this broken-down, rat-bug state in my own desert experience. I left that desert, my past, and committed to a new life. What that would look like, I wasn't sure. But there was hope. God loved me enough to find me in the desert at the point of deepest despair and let me know it was going to be okay.

The Case FOR "Just As You Are"

Let's be honest—we have strong scriptural evidence to support God's unconditional love:

Romans 5:8 reminds us that "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Not after we cleaned up our act. Not once we figured it all out. While we were still broken, rusted, rat-bug versions of ourselves.

1 John 4:9-10 declares, "This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning

sacrifice for our sins." His love wasn't conditional on our worthiness.

Jeremiah 31:3 captures God's heart: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness." Everlasting means it doesn't change based on our condition.

Ephesians 2:4-5 adds, "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved." Dead. Rusted. Rat-Bug condition. He loved us then.

The Case FOR Change and Transformation

But hold on. Does He really love us to stay just as we are?

As a snapshot—a single moment in time—I believe He absolutely does love us just as we are. His words in Scripture assure us of this truth. But I think these snapshots are more like the individual frames that make up a major motion picture. It's only when they're pulled together that they create a movie—or in our case, a life.

Wouldn't it be boring if we went to our favorite theater, paid admission, bought popcorn, sat down, and the entire movie was stuck on one frame? We would not be happy moviegoers!

What if God loves us as we are in each snapshot moment, but expects us to change—to be transformed—to become something other than a rusting Rat-Bug abandoned in the Texas desert?

We have equally strong scripture supporting transformation:

Romans 12:2 commands us: "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

Matthew 5:48 sets the bar high: "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Hebrews 12:6 explains God's motivation: "The Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son." Love includes expecting growth.

John 8:11 shows Jesus' approach perfectly—after showing compassion to the woman caught in adultery, He says, "Go now and leave your life of sin." Love AND change.

2 Corinthians 5:17 declares the transformation: "If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"

Clearly, God expects us NOT to remain the same!

What About the Common Objections?

After 40+ years of working with people struggling with these questions, I've encountered every objection imaginable. Let me address the most common ones:

"I've tried to change before and failed." We live in a culture that values immediate gratification. Who would go to Las Vegas expecting every dollar to return a reward? Yet that's how many approach transformation. My question is: "How many times have you tried and failed?" Thomas Edison failed over 1,000 times before perfecting the light bulb. As Romans 5:3-5 tells us, "We glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."

"God couldn't possibly love someone who's done what I've done." God chose Saul (a Christian killer) to become Paul, the Apostle who carried the gospel to the Gentiles. King David had an adulterous affair with Bathsheba and had her husband Uriah killed in battle. Jonah told God to take a hike. Simon Peter denied knowing Jesus three times in public. The list of God loving sinners much worse than any of us is practically endless. A rat-bug is a rat-bug, regardless of degree. What's important is that we don't stay in that rusting condition.

"I'm afraid if I change, I won't be me anymore." Letting go of self-control can be terrifying. But the more we trust God, the more we realize He is the ultimate safety net. As His word promises, He won't give you more than you can endure (1 Corinthians 10:13).

My Transformation Journey

Interestingly, the first thing I did when I returned from the wilderness was shave and get a haircut. I cleaned up how I looked while still being a psycho-emotional rat-bug inside. I read "Dress for Success" and wouldn't go outside without a tie. I was giving it everything I had to rebuild my career.

But that was just surface-level change. God's work was deeper and slower. I wasn't raised in church—my father saw God in nature, my mother was somewhere between agnostic and atheist. When she said someone "got religion," it was never positive. So recognizing this desert experience as a Divine Appointment was my first real encounter with the transcendent.

I was baptized in 2005, and it's taken me the past 20 years as a professing believer to actually look in the mirror and see a new creation. I now identify as an on-fire believer, part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed," an ambassador of Christ. But I know what a wretch of a rat-bug I was.

The rust God still chips away at is my critical spirit—toward politicians, religious leaders, even loved ones, and especially myself. The Holy Spirit gently reminds me of the nine fruits of the Spirit and asks, "Does your criticism align with these or not?" Another chip of rust is removed until the next one resurfaces. The restoration project continues.

Practical Steps for Your Own Transformation

While God initiates transformation, we participate by showing up, remaining open, and aligning ourselves with His Spirit. Grace is the invitation—but growth is a partnership. If you’re thinking, “Okay, I believe God loves me as I am, but I want to change—what now?” Here are seven practical steps to help you move forward:

1. Talk with the Holy Spirit

Have an open, ongoing conversation—prayer doesn’t have to be formal. Invite the Holy Spirit to guide your thoughts, shape your heart, and help you discern His will. This relationship is the foundation of lasting change.

2. Expect Little from the World, Much from God

Lower your expectations of yourself and others, and raise them for God. He’s the only one who will never fail you or abandon you. This shift in perspective takes pressure off performance and puts trust where it belongs.

3. Stay Rooted in the Word

Set aside time each day for Scripture. As 2 Timothy 3:16 reminds us, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” Even just 10 minutes daily can reframe your mindset.

4. Shine the Light of Christ—On Purpose

Be intentional about reflecting His love. Whether in traffic, in the checkout line, or in tough conversations, look for moments to extend grace, not just receive it.

5. Memorize the Fruits of the Spirit

These nine fruits—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—are the litmus test of spiritual maturity. Let them be your mirror. Ask daily: Am I living out these qualities?

6. Stay Alert to Divine Appointments

Transformation often happens in unexpected encounters. Be present. Be curious. Be ready. God places people in your path for reasons beyond what you may see at first.

7. Trust God’s Adventure Over Your Own Plans

Let go of the blueprint you thought you needed. God’s story for your life is far richer, deeper, and more redemptive than anything you could have drafted. The "rat-bug" version of you never imagined what’s next—but God already has.

The Divine Resolution: Does God Love Me?

So perhaps, before we too quickly echo the secular world's sentiment that "God loves you just as you are" without any expectation of change, we should pause and ask: Do I want God to see me as a Rat-Bug, or as an ambassador of Christ?

Here's what I've discovered through my own journey and years of helping others: God's love is both unconditional AND transformational. He loves you exactly as you are today—rust, dents, and all. But He loves you too much to leave you that way. His love is the catalyst for change, not the excuse to avoid it.

There's a subtle yet powerful cultural zeitgeist encouraging us to remain in some homeostatic condition—celebrating "rat-bug" lifestyles and encouraging others to do the same. We've made it culturally insensitive to encourage transformation unless it goes counter to God's word. No wonder seekers and new believers are scared and hesitant to become on-fire believers.

It's easy to connect with people in their rat-bug phase of life because we've been there ourselves (and still are, to some extent). But once we awaken to the reality that this rusting carcass of sinful flesh won't make it to heaven, and we truly repent, we can shine the Light of Christ as ambassadors—no longer stuck on a broken-down trailer in the desert.

From my background in counseling, I realize we exist on three dimensions: physical, psycho-emotional, and spiritual. Secular mental health focuses on the lower levels—behavior, feelings, and thinking. We can use cognitive-behavioral techniques to help someone function better in society. But that's just surface change, like my early transformation after the desert.

God is the One who creates conditions for spiritual transformation. But the individual must want it and be willing to show up for Divine Appointments. We can never do enough by "trying harder" to earn our way into heaven. We enter only through God's grace and faith in Jesus Christ. Once we accept this truth, we keep our hand to the plow, doing everything as unto God.

The next time you catch a glimpse of your own "Rat-Bug" condition, remember: You're not just a rusted relic abandoned in the desert. You're a beloved child of God in the process of transformation—loved completely as you are, yet destined for so much more.

As the old saying goes, "There isn't a saint without a past, or a sinner without a future." You're not a saint, but you can sin less while acknowledging your sinful nature. The restoration project continues, one chip of rust at a time.

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"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." - Lamentations 3:22-23

What’s your ‘Rat-Bug’ moment? Share it. Someone out there may be stuck in the desert, waiting for your story to help lead them out. 

--- *Trace Pirtle is a retired university professor, pilgrim blogger, and founder of Faith in Action Ministry, Texas Hill Country. He writes for Christians who refuse to settle for Sunday morning faith while prayer-walking the narrow path in Kerrville, Texas. Welcome home, pilgrim.